


Linked

by mochidaisyy



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Abusive Parents, Action/Adventure, Alluka is so precious, Angst, Assassins, Eventual Romance, F/M, Feel the burrnnnn, Friendship, Lots of rain lmao, Nen (Hunter X Hunter), Protective Killua Zoldyck, Reader-Insert, Romance, Slow Burn, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, Sunsets, Tsundere Killua Zoldyck, Yorkshin City | Yorknew City (Hunter X Hunter), whale island
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:47:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 23,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24601840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mochidaisyy/pseuds/mochidaisyy
Summary: Soulmate AU - Seventeen year-old (y/n) has never been free. After 9 years of being locked away with her father who uses her for her nen ability, (y/n) escapes and is on the run. She has big plans to become a Hunter and see the world...until she meets her soulmate Killua and his friends after discovering that her father is after her and wants to take her back. Will she escape her father with the help of Killua, Gon, and Alluka? Will she bond with Killua or will they sever their link?--Soulmate AU where the first words your soulmate says to you are written somewhere on your body and you can sense each others' emotions. Crossposted on Wattpad under the username mochidaisyy! :)
Relationships: Alluka Zoldyck & Killua Zoldyck, Gon Freecs & Killua Zoldyck, Killua Zoldyck & Reader, Killua Zoldyck/Reader
Comments: 44
Kudos: 273





	1. prologue | running to the starting line

You craved control.

For all of your life, you never got to experience any kind of control, except when you were a little girl. Your mom would let you choose things for yourself. Like when you wanted to train, what you wanted to eat, and who you wanted to play with. But one day, she dropped you off to your father's house and she was gone. Murdered in cold blood that same night. Your light, happiness, and control died with her that day too. Gone in an instant. You would never choose another thing for yourself from that moment forward.

Until now.

Your feet, clad in thick black leather combat shoes worn with dirt and time, slapped against the wet pavement as you ran to the bus station. You roughly rubbed your hands against your tear-stained eyes. _How could I be so stupid_ , you thought to yourself as your heart pounded in agony against your chest.

He really fooled you good, didn't he? For a second there, you felt _safe_. Like someone actually cared and didn't want you for your power.

_Giichi...you bastard._

You clenched your fists angrily as you wiped the tears from your eyes. _No more tears, I have to keep going or else dad will find me and I'll end up back in that cell._

After your mom died, your dad took you in and decided to make you use your gift as a payment for him taking you in. He took you underground in his base. There were no windows, no light, no color. It was dull and empty. The only things in your cell were a mat with a blanket, a toilet, and chains on the wall that were used to restrain you when you failed him and needed to be punished. You spent nine painful years down there. You spent your time healing your father's gang members and guards when they came back from a fight. The worst nights were the nights where a lot of them got hurt. Healing that many of them at once would almost kill you at some times, but your father never let you stop. He never let you have a break. The pain of it all left you breathless.

You were his tool and your purpose was to fix the people that were destroyed for him and his money.

The most painful part of it all though was probably the loneliness of it all. You didn't get to have any friends, and the only person your age that you knew was this boy that you met on an island a long time ago.

There was also your soulmate, of course.

He was always there, never fully in focus, but lingering in your thoughts. His emotions and feelings often filled your mind when they were strong. You didn't know his name, or what he looked like, but you _knew_ him. Even if it was just a little bit.

You first felt him there the night your mom died.

The thunder and rain pattering against your window drowned out the sound of your sobs as you lay in bed awake that night. You had never felt so alone before. Not only was your mother gone, but her whole clan was gone. The people that she loved so much, and the people that you were just getting to know. Your small hand grasped your pillow tightly as a sob ripped its way through your throat when all of a sudden, you felt it. It was small, but nonetheless present. A soft, unfamiliar warmth lingered in the corner of your mind, almost like it was a little bit timid. It soothed her, suddenly she didn't feel so alone.

_"I'm sorry,"_ it seemed to say.

With tears still streaming down your cheeks and your eyes wide open, you whispered back, "Thank you."

There were multiple other occasions that you felt him there.

After your father smacked you around a few times for not healing fast enough, or not giving the results he wanted, you'd feel that same warmth.

When you were on the brink of death after healing too many terrible wounds at once, you felt his panic in the corner of your mind.

Sometimes, you could feel a deep loneliness in his mind. Sometimes you could feel he was in physical pain, just like you.

_Was it possible that he was going through something similar?_

You often wondered if he felt the lack of control that you did.

You knew that you would be destined to meet one day. When and where you didn't really know. You haven't found him yet because his first words to you were still written across your collarbone and you had yet to hear them out loud.

You were in no rush to find your soulmate though, you still had plenty of things you wanted to do. So many places to explore. So much life to live and take back. You were in no rush to settle down with a partner that you had no control over choosing, especially since you _just_ freed yourself.

You ran away from your father's house about 3 months ago. There was a big raid. Enemies of your father had never broken into his base before, and you knew it was likely that it wouldn't happen again soon. So when the locks on your cell were unlocked due to the damage that was happening to the base, you took the opportunity and ran. You took your katana from your father's storage unit on the way out and bolted.

After running for a while, you found a small city. It was called Junipo City. The population was small and the poverty level was high. You were homeless for a while. You slept in an ally way behind the city's supermarket, and that's where he found you. Giichi.

When you first saw Giichi, you thought that he was very handsome. Just looking at his slick back black hair and green eyes made your heart do a little jump in your chest. However, it was his smile that pulled you in. There was something so friendly, so inviting about it. _How naive you were then..._

He acquainted himself with you and started dropping off food to you for about two weeks. After those two weeks, he convinced you to stay with him in a shelter that he lived in and worked in. He gave you your first set of new clothes in nine years, a place to sleep and food to eat. He took care of you, and for the first time since you escaped, you felt like maybe you didn't have to do things alone.

For the next two months, things were perfect. Giichi showed you all over town during the day. At night, he would bring you hot chocolate before you went to bed. You loved watching him play with all of the other kids and talk with the elderly at the shelter. Sometimes, late at night, you found the courage to confide in him. You told him about your past and all of your fears. Your heart began to flutter madly in your chest whenever he walked into the room. _You thought that maybe, everything would be okay, maybe he even liked you too..._

But after everything that happened tonight, you found yourself back in square one, alone again.

He had asked you if you had any career plans for the future.

**...**

_"Hmm," you thought as your feet swung back and forth over the side of your cot, "I was thinking that maybe I could become a Hunter. I'm hoping to take the next exam. I think that my experience with nen and my katana gives me a good chance of passing the exam," you replied sheepishly._

_"The next exam?" Giichi asked sorrowfully._

_"Yeah," you smiled, "is there something wrong?"_

_Giichi smiled and shook his head, taking his seat on his cot across from yours._

_"There's nothing wrong with that, of course. I'm really happy for you. It's just that...I'm really sad to see you go so soon. The Hunter exam is next week after all."_

_He looked back up at you. His sorrowful sage meeting your (y/e/c) ones. There was something in his look that made your heart soar..._

_"Giichi, I-"_

_He leaned in closer to you from his cot and tucked a piece of hair behind your ear. Almost immediately you felt heat rise to your cheeks._ He's so close...

_"(Y/N)...I was going to wait to tell you this, but since you're leaving I have no choice but to tell you now," a mischievous smile found its way onto his face, "I really like you, (y/n). I have since the moment I met you. You're beautiful and strong. It really makes me sad that you're leaving before we had the chance to become something more than friends..."_

Something more than friends? _You had never thought about being more than friends with someone other than your soulmate...and even when you did think about that you figured that would be happening way down the line. Right now, you're free and you're allowed to finally make choices for yourself._

_The first words of your soulmate burned angrily against the skin of your collarbone._

_Could you pursue this, soulmate aside? No...no you couldn't. You were going to become a Hunter. You were going to make money and explore the world. Maybe along the way, you'd meet people and you'd get to finally use your power safely for people you care about...For now, though, you didn't have room for a relationship, despite what you felt for Giichi._

_"Giich-"_

_Before you could tell him how you felt, he placed his hands on your cheeks and pressed his lips to yours._

_You were completely frozen. Your eyes wide open in shock and your heart pounding against your chest. This was your first kiss. Before you could even process that thought it was over, and your soulmate mark was on fire._

_He was there, lingering dejectedly in the corner of your mind. Feelings of jealousy, betrayal, and finally something passive washed over him in your head. And then he was gone. He shut himself out almost faster than your kiss._

_Giichi pulled away from you, "After you get your Hunter license, will you come here and show me?"_

_You nodded your head slowly, your fingers playing with your tingling lips, "S-Sure."_

_He smirked and patted your head before walking away, "Get some sleep, (y/n). Goodnight."_

_Sleeping was the last thing you did. You laid awake in your cot, your soulmate mark throbbing against your collarbone. After about an hour of tossing and turning, you decided to get up and get some water, walking on your tiptoes to avoid waking the other sleeping children in the cots around you._

_You were almost to the kitchen when you heard Giichi talking on the phone in his office._

_"...uh-huh, yeah...She should be back from her Hunter Exam in two weeks, I'm guessing... Yeah...You can pay me and take her at the same time I guess, no need to make two trips... trust me, she'll definitely be back..."_

_You rocked on your feet outside of his office, almost losing your balance at the same time. He tried to trick you...he tried to gain your trust and_ sell _you...To who though? Your father? A third party that knew about your power? That didn't matter, right now you had to get away and lay low._

_You ran back to your cot and took the few things that you owned. You pulled on your black hoodie and pulled the strap of your Katana case over your chest and let your katana rest on your back. From there, you crept out of the back doors and ran into the night._

**...**

Your feet slowed to a stop as you reached the bus stop. A bus was there loading passengers so you immersed yourself into the line, pulling your hoodie over your face.

You took a seat alone at the back of the bus, the rain pattering angrily against the window and the wind rattling the bus.

_You can do this alone, (y/n). Don't be afraid, you have to lay low for a little while._

You took a deep breath and shut your eyes. Regret weighed heavily on your heart and you tried to push these thoughts to your soulmate but you were met with silence.

The intercom on the bus buzzed to life, ** _"Next stop: Yorknew City."_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! That was a lot haha. I hope you enjoyed the prologue of Linked! I have big plans for this story, in fact, I just finished mapping the whole thing out yesterday. Don't worry, I know this chapter was slow and left a lot of things open but it's really going to start picking up in chapter one! Please stick around to see what happens next! Leave a comment to let me know what you think! 
> 
> -sailorjac <3


	2. one | when the rain slows down

“Keep sweeping, girl.” 

You wiped the sweat from your brow and replied to your boss, “Yes, sir.” 

It was summertime in Yorknew City. The days were long and humid, and the nights were often filled with storms that shook the foundation of the small abandoned building you claimed as your home about three weeks ago. 

Your hands worked the broom over the old wooden floors of the shop quickly, picking up stray dust and cat hair. After about of week of searching for work when you first arrived at Yorknew City, you finally found a little job here at Goro’s Shop. Goro had you do simple things around his shop. He had you clean, feed that fat orange cat of his, take out the trash, and handle sales outside on busy days. The pay wasn’t amazing, but it was enough to get by. 

You used the money you earned sparsely, for food and a few articles of clothing only. In a year from now, you promised yourself that you would use the money you were saving to get to the Hunter exam and become a licensed Hunter. For now, all you could do was lay low, work, and train with your katana when you were free. 

“(Y/N),” Goro grumbled as a sat in his stool by the register smoking a cigarette and reading the paper. 

“Yes?” 

Without looking up he pointed to the sales tent in front of the store, “Run sales outside for me today, alright? It’s going to be a busy day today, so I’ll pay you a little extra if you stay later.”

The more money you earned, the better, “Alright. Thank you, sir.” 

With a gruff of acknowledgment, he dismissed you and you made your way outside. 

You didn’t particularly mind working outside, but there was a ghost of anxiety always present in your mind when you were out in the open. What if someone recognized you? You were almost positive there was a bounty out there for your collection posted by dear old Dad. You pulled your red scarf lower on your head to cover your eyes. _ They can’t find you, just as long as you don’t use your healing.  _

“Um, excuse me, Miss?” 

A pretty woman with long blonde hair and a ruffled mint dress stood at the other side of the booth holding a glass vase that matched the color of her dress.  _ Heh, that has to be her favorite color or something.  _

“Can I buy this vase here? Or do I have to go inside?” She inquired, raising her eyebrow as she looked around the booth.

You gave her a small smile, “I can ring you up here. Let me bag it for you.” 

The woman paid for her mint vase and walked away into the crowd. 

“Oi, (y/n)!” Goro yelled out to you from inside, “Don’t give bags to every customer today! They’re expensive. Give away all of my bags and it’s your paycheck!” 

You rolled your eyes before turned around and saying, “Okay, sir.” 

Goro was right, there was a lot more people shopping around today than usual. By five in the afternoon, you had already sold more than 40 items from his shop. Sweat drenched your hairline and the heat drained you of your energy but you knew that it was worth the money. 

“Hey, Goro?” You inquired as the crowd of people bustled between shops.

He looked up at you from his paper, “What is it, kid?” 

“Why are there so many people shopping around today? Is there some kind of holiday that I don’t know about?” 

He sighed and looked back down, “No. I saw a lot of ships at the port this morning, figured there were probably a lot of tourists in town.” 

You nodded your head in understanding and turned back around to observe the crowd, “I see.”   
  


You took a deep breath and smiled happily to yourself as the summer breeze tickled your face. Behind the building in front of you, the sun was setting and it painted the sky a soft orange. You could hear people talking excitedly as they explored the foreign shops of Yorknew City. For that brief moment, you were calmer than you had ever been in the last 9 years. It was nice to be outside on a beautiful day like today and know that you weren’t in imminent danger. It was  _ refreshing _ . Maybe things would turn out okay. 

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see a little girl with long black hair and a pretty pink and green dress gushing excitedly to a boy with snow-white hair.

“Can we get ice cream  _ now _ , onii-chan!?” She exclaimed, pulling on his white shirt. 

He folded his arms behind his head and answered, “Eh, sure. Shopping is getting pretty boring. Let’s just wait for-” 

Suddenly the little girl turned around and pointed at my booth, “Do they sell ice cream  _ there _ ?” 

I whipped my head to the side before the boy could catch me watching their conversation. 

He regarded the booth for a moment, “Nope, come on.”

The boy grabbed the little girl’s hand and walked off into the crowd. 

  
  


**…**

  
  


At ten o’clock, you and Goro closed up the shop. He paid you 400 jenny for the day, which wasn’t too bad.

“See you tomorrow,” you waved to Goro as you turned on your heel and began to make your way home. 

At the corner, you stopped at a small store and bought yourself a loaf of bread and a glass bottle with lemonade inside for dinner with the extra jenny from work. Your feet padded softly against the cobblestone streets. Your home was about a 20-minute walk from Goro’s shop, in the outskirts of Yorknew where all of the abandoned buildings were.  _ Maybe in a few months, if I save up enough money, I can get a little apartment. I’ll have to put it under a different name though… _

You frowned to yourself at the thought. It would be a while before you could live freely. A while until you could live without the fear of your father tracking you down due to the fact that your name was on an apartment in Yorknew City. 

Thunder clapped over your head and lighting lit up the sky as rain slowly started pour down on you.  _ Nice _ , you thought to yourself as you picked up the pace, clutching your bag of food closer to your chest. 

It didn’t take long for the rain to turn into a downpour, and with that you began sprinting down the street, your hair and scarf getting soaked with the summer rain. 

You were almost home when you turned the corner and heard a little girl screaming from an alleyway a little down the street.

_ Shit _ . 

You could feel your heartbeat speed up in your chest.

_ Should I call the police? No, no that little girl is in trouble right now. I have to do something. The police will be too late. Someone could have hurt her. Someone could be _ in there _ hurting her  _ right now _. If she’s hurt...can I heal her here? Will I have time to find somewhere safe to heal her? I don’t even have my katana, if there is someone in there how will I draw blood? Damnit, what if I- _

The gruff voice of a man cut off your thoughts, “I’ll stab you again if you don’t tell me where those kids are with the Hunter licenses. If you don’t want to die here, I’d suggest you tell me where they are.” 

Your vision flashed red. With one hand you swiftly grabbed the glass bottle of lemonade and let the bag full of bread drop down to the rain-soaked street. 

“Get away from her!” You yelled into the dark alley. It was her. The girl from the marketplace earlier today asking for ice cream. Her hand trembled against her side as she clutched the blood-stained material of her dress. Her head rested against the side of a dumpster and her tear-filled blue eyes regarded you in terror. Above her, a man with medium length brown hair and a large build held a long dagger. 

He scoffed at you with a grin, “Get lost, girl. Unless you want to get stabbed too, eh?” 

You glared at him in anger, and with your right hand, you slammed the glass bottle of lemonade into the wall. The lemonade poured down to the floor and mixed with the rain puddle below your feet. 

The man chuckled darkly and pointed his dagger at you, “Watch yourself.” 

Without a second thought, your feet rushed forward on their own. It’s been a long time since you learned how to fight with your mother, but you remembered it all. Every word of advice she gave you. Even though it’s been a long time, you were still prepared. 

What did mom say fighting was again?  _ Muscle memory _ , you could hear her sweet voice echo in your mind. 

_ That’s right.  _

He swung his dagger at your face when you got in close. _ He’s slow,  _ you thought as you noted his sloppy use of his blade _ , just a petty criminal. _ You ducked underneath the swing and spun to kick him square in the stomach. The force of your kick was enough to send him back and away from the small girl.  _ She’s gonna bleed out if I don’t hurry and he’s too big for me to knock out cold, I’m not sure if I still have that kind of strength...I’ll have to use it.  _

Your right hand squeezed the top of the bottle harder as you began to approach him. 

“Now you’re really going to get it, you bitch. I’m gonna cut you up so bad-” 

You waved him off, “Save it. I’m not interested in hearing whatever  _ bullshit  _ is about to come out of your mouth.” 

His eyes glowed in his fury as thunder boomed overhead. He charged at you again and took a swipe at your stomach. You jumped back before the blade could cut you, but before you could react he followed up with a punch to the gut. You groaned out in pain as you stumbled back, doubling over in pain. He stalked over to you slowly, like a predator approaching its prey. 

“You should have run when you had the chance.” 

He raised his hand to stab you with the blade again.  _ Now _ . Your hand shot up to catch his wrist. Using all of your strength, you twisted it, forcing him to face his back to you. He gasped out in pain as you used the bottle to create a gash in his back. 

You dropped the bottle and pressed your hand to the open wound, “Butterfly effect.” 

It’s been so long since you used it, but without fail small red butterflies flowed from your hand and into the blood of the criminal. Your aura glowed red as you closed your eyes in concentration.  _ There _ . 

He broke free from your grasp and shoved you back. You grinned as you watched him double over in pain from the action. 

“What the hell did you do to me?” He winced. 

“Butterfly effect,” you said in a bored tone, “I wouldn’t try to injure me or anyone else for a while, you’ll only end up hurting yourself more.” 

He trembled as his hand reached behind himself to hold his back. 

Lighting lit up the sky again as the rain poured harder on the three of you. “Now get lost. And if I see you trying to hurt or steal from anyone again, I will kill you.” 

The man scurried out of the alley and you ran to the little girl. There was more blood on the floor from when you got there and her eyes were lidded. You threw yourself down to the rain-soaked concrete and gently pulled her into your lap. 

Your eyes filled with tears. You had to heal her. If you didn’t heal her, she would die. She’s lost too much blood. _I can’t heal her here though, it’s too dangerous._ _I don’t know if that guy had friends and if I pass out I won’t be able to protect her._

You looked down at the girl to see her eyes fluttering close. You desperately began snapping your fingers in her face, “Hey! Hey, keep your eyes open for me, okay? I’m going to make you feel better. What’s your name?” 

You gently began to pick the girl up from the floor and cradle her against your chest. 

“Alluka…” She choked out in a whisper. 

You looked down at her, Alluka’s dull blue eyes fought hard to stay open and look at you, “Alluka…that’s a really pretty name. I’m (Y/N). Can you tell me where you live, Alluka?” 

Her eyes didn’t meet yours when you looked down again but were gazing down the alley. You looked up to see what she was looking at and there he was, the boy from the marketplace. 

His snow-white hair was matted down on his head and his big sapphire eyes watched you both in a mix of relief and anger. 

“Onii-chan...onii-chan, she saved me. (Y/N) saved me.” Alluka whimpered in your arms, shivering from the cold rain. 

_ Her brother... _ Your (e/c) eyes shot up from Alluka to meet his. 

“ _ Please _ ,” you began, “ _ please let me heal her! I can save her but we don’t have much time left! _ ” 

His beautiful blue eyes widened in shock. The words that were written across his collarbone echoing in the air around him. 

You didn’t know it, but in that moment, the rain slowed down for the boy in front of you. Killua Zoldyck. Your soulmate. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhhh I'm so sorry!! That was so long!! I honestly didn't mean for this chapter to be so long but I just started typing and I couldn't stop. Do you guys like long chapters? Or do you prefer shorter chapters, (1000 -1500) words??? Let me know in a comment! I really hope that you guys are enjoying this story, I'm having a lot of fun writing it. Even if this story doesn't get too popular, I think I'm going to finish it to the end just because I enjoy writing it so much. Have a great day/night!
> 
> \- sailorjac <3


	3. two | good way to get killed

Your eyes flickered to the boy with the white hair momentarily as you prepared to heal Alluka. When all three of you arrived, the boy immediately brought a small pillow from the couch for Alluka to rest her head on as you healed her. He was across from you now, sitting cross-legged on the floor on the other side of Alluka’s body. 

The boy hasn’t spoken a word since he found you and Alluka in the alley. After you asked to heal Alluka, the boy seemed frozen for a moment before gesturing for you to follow him.  _ It must have been a shock to see his sister so hurt _ , you thought to yourself, _ this poor boy is probably still in shock right now. _

“Don’t worry,” you said to the boy, your (e/c) eyes meeting his sapphire ones, “I’m going to save her.” 

With your hand ghosting over Alluka’s side and your eyebrows furrowing in concentration, you focused your nen and watched as a golden glow began to emit from your palm. Tiny, golden butterflies made from nen kissed the wound gently, their wings fluttering against Alluka’s damaged skin. Even after years of practice, it still took a lot of concentration from you to heal a wound quickly and thoroughly. Your eyes squinted at the wound as the skin finally began to regenerate. You could already feel a bit of your life energy being drained from you as you began to heal. Your vision became hazy with exhaustion, but you kept going. 

The boy across from you leaned forward to watch more carefully, his eyes analyzing your movements and the butterflies emerging from your palm. 

After about two minutes, the wound in Alluka’s side was completely healed. The color that had drained from her face returned, her cheeks as rosy as they were when you saw her in the marketplace this afternoon. Her sky blue eyes opened and she jumped up in excitement. 

“Onii-channnn!” She smiled brightly as she jumped up to hug him.

The boy’s eyes widened in surprise at her boost in energy.  _ Cute.  _

You chuckled softly, “She’s going to have a lot of energy for a little while. She probably won’t sleep tonight, sorry.” 

_ Crap.  _ You could feel your eyes begin to close and your ability to keep your head up beginning to dwindle to nothing.  _ I have to warn them to leave. I have to… _

Alluka turned her head to look at you with a bright smile, “Thank you, (y/n)-chan…(Y/n)-chan? Are you okay?” 

Her voice faded to a whisper as you collapsed and suddenly everything went to black. 

**…**

There was something cold on your forehead. 

Faintly, you could hear voices conversing in an excited whisper.  _ What’s going on? Where were you again?  _

Your eyes fluttered open to see two boys talking with each other, one more animated than the other. The boy with the white hair that you met yesterday was sitting in a chair by the window. His eyes met yours upon noticing you were awake, but his expression unreadable. There was another boy sitting at the end of your bed. Immediately, you recognized the odd green outfit matched with bright hazel eyes and a big smile. 

“Gon-kun?” You gasped, a smile quickly blooming on your face and the cold rag falling from your forehead as you sat up.  _ How long had it been? Five years? _

**...**

You were both twelve years old then. 

Your father had taken you with him for one of his “business meetings.” He often chose remote places to meet with the shady people he worked with. Less police. Less chance of getting caught. Less chance of you trying to flee in a place where you didn’t know where to go. 

On this trip, the remote destination was Whale Island. 

The minute you got there, you fell in love. You loved seeing all of the friendly natives at the port, along with a variety of people from all walks of life who were there to rest between voyages. It was exciting for you to be outside, seeing a new place in the world.

Of course, your father was a total  _ buzz-kill _ .

Right after you got off of the boat, he pulled you close and hissed in your ear, “No funny business, you got it? We’re only here for a few hours, now isn’t the time to piss me off.” 

He squeezed your hand painfully as he pulled you through the small crowd gathered at the port and then up the mountain and into the forest. You stopped before a small cabin in the woods. He pulled you to a tree stump and forced you to sit. 

“Stay here,” he grumbled, “I’ll be out at 5 o’clock.” 

You huffed and folded your arms over your chest as he disappeared inside the cabin.  _ Five o’clock? Seriously? _ It was still mid-morning and you were beyond frustrated to be stuck on a tree stump instead of exploring this new island.

Your sulking was interrupted when you heard the voice of a boy behind you. 

“Hi!” 

Startled, you turned around to see the source of the voice. A boy with an interesting green outfit and a fishing pole resting against his shoulder smiled brightly at you. 

“I’m Gon! What’s your name?” He beamed, prancing closer to you. 

Your eyes widened in surprise. It had been so long since you had been around a kid your own age. Staying with your dad was always lonely, you missed having friends of your own. 

You took a fearful look at the cabin before turning to the boy and whispering shyly, “My name is (Y/N).” 

“(Y/N)-chan?” He smiled.

You nodded lightly. 

“It’s nice to meet you! Where are you from? I never see any other kids on the island, so you must be visiting...right, (Y/N)-chan?” 

You eyed the cabin once more, checking to see if anyone was watching, “Yeah….I’m from the Republic of Padokea. It’s really not as pretty as Whale Island, though…” 

“Oh,” he said, sitting on the grass in front of you, “how long are you staying for, (Y/N)-chan?” 

You frowned as you looked down at your feet, “Only a few hours, I have to leave at five o’clock.” 

The boy smiled as he sprang up from his spot in the grass, “We should get going then!” 

“What?” 

“Don’t you want to see the island before you leave? I can show you the island and we can play!” 

Your eyebrows knit together at the conflict presented to you. _ Should I risk getting caught? If he notices that I’m not sitting here, I’m as good as dead...But he said he wouldn’t be coming back until 5 o’clock right? _

_ This could be my only shot at making a friend. Maybe just this once… _

“Yeah,” you gave him a small smile and stood up from the stump, “that sounds fun. We have to be back by five though!” 

He let out a joyful laugh as he took your hand and pulled you into the forest. 

You hadn’t had that much fun in a very long time. 

Gon took you all over Whale Island. He took you fishing and even taught you how to catch a fish on your own. You went to the shore and felt the hot sand between your toes. You sighed in delight at the smell of the sea-salt coming from the ocean. He took you to the forest and the mountains. You both laughed hysterically when Gon tripped and fell into a pond. He took you to his house for lunch. You met a sweet lady named Mito-san. You almost cried in delight when she served you a nice, hot, homecooked meal. She reminded you so much of your mom and you wanted to stay with them more than anything.

But you couldn’t. If you even tried to your father would kill both Gon and Mito-san. 

When you and Gon arrived back at the tree stump, you couldn’t hide the crestfallen expression on your face. It broke your heart to have to leave your new friend. 

Gon’s eyebrows knit together in concern when he noticed your pained expression, “(Y/N)-chan, what’s wrong?” 

Your lip trembled as you spoke, “I just wish we got to spend more time together, Gon-kun. I had a lot of fun with you today.” 

He smiled brightly at you, “Don’t worry, (Y/N)-chan. I promise we’ll meet again someday. I pinky promise!” 

He held out his pinky to you, and you hesitantly wrapped your pinky around his. 

He smiled as he started to sing a little song while swinging your pinkies together. Your eyes widened in surprise and amusement.

“I pinky-swear that (Y/N)-chan and I will meet again and if I break this promise I will have to swallow a thousand needles! Pinky sworn!” He beamed. 

You blinked at him. 

“Now, we put our thumbs together,” He pressed his thumb firmly against yours, “sealed with a kiss!” 

You both giggled as you pulled your hands away from each other. 

“Until then, (Y/N)-chan.” He smiled softly. 

“Until then, Gon.” 

**…**

You hadn’t seen each other since, until now. 

Gon jumped up to give you a hug. He squeezed you tightly and you squeezed back. 

“I told you we’d meet again, (Y/N)-chan.” He chuckled. 

He pulled away from you and pointed to the boy with the white hair, “(Y/N)-chan! This is my best friend, Killua!” 

Killua frowned as his cheeks tinted pink. His eyes drifted off to the wall as he crossed his arms over his chest, “Tsch...Why do you always say embarrassing stuff like that?”

_ He speaks.  _

You smiled politely at the boy who still hadn’t said a word to you, “It’s nice to meet you, Killua.” 

The boy looked back at you and hesitantly nodded his head at you.

“It was incredible how you healed Alluka, (Y/N)-chan! We’re sorry if she caused you any trouble, she ran off yesterday and we were looking everywhere for her.” Gon said sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. 

You waved him off, “It was nothing, really.” 

“How did you do it, (Y/N)-chan? Killua told me a little about it, is it your nen ability? Are you a Hunter too?” 

“Ah,” you squeaked out in embarrassment, “I’m not a Hunter yet...I’m taking the exam next year. And yeah, the healing is one part of my nen abilities. It heals people really fast and gives them a boost of life energy. But, it kinda takes from my own, which makes me pretty tired. Another drawback is that it also allows…” 

_ Shit, how could you forget? _

“Damnit!” You gasped, leaping up from the bed to gather your belongings. _ Crap, crap, crap! How could I be so reckless? Father and his gang or whoever he sent to find me could be here at  _ any  _ minute! _

“(Y/N)-chan, what’s wrong?” Gon asked as he and Killua followed you into the living room where you were shoving your feet back into your shoes. 

“Gon-kun, I’m so sorry but you have to get far away from here and far away from me. When I heal…one of the catches is that anyone I heal can see through my eyes as I heal, therefore they could see where I am. My father...if you stay here they’ll kill you. All of you. You need to leave,  _ now _ .” 

“(Y/N)-chan…” Gon’s voice dropped to a serious tone, “is someone trying to hurt you?” 

You tried to give him a smile, “I’ll be fine, Gon-kun. But please, leave now.” 

“(Y/N)...you’re trembling!” He said worriedly, grabbing your hand.

_ Shit.  _

“Come with us to Whale Island! We’re going to visit Mito-san and they won’t be looking for you there. Please, (Y/N)-chan, it’s our fault that they know your location now. If we run, we can make it to the boat that leaves at twelve!” 

You smiled sweetly at the boy before pulling your hand away and making your way to the door. 

“I don’t want any of you to get hurt. They won’t hesitate to hurt any of you and I can’t put you at risk because of my problems. It’s really okay, Gon. I’m sure we’ll see each other soon.” 

Before you could turn the handle of the door, a soft pale hand grabbed your wrist. You whipped your head around to look into a pair of conflicted cerulean eyes.  _ He’s been mute all this time and  _ now  _ he wants to make conversation?  _ You were about to gently pull out of his grasp before he started to speak. 

“Going out there on your own is a good way to get killed, Baka.” 

The words that you read every time you looked in the mirror after your shower had been spoken. The words that your mother said would bring you endless happiness echoed in your mind. His voice called something forth from your chest and made your heart skip a beat. Your right hand instinctively shot up to ghost over the words carved into your collarbone. Your eyebrows furrowed in shock. Killua’s royal blue eyes pierced into your big (e/c) ones and suddenly you felt like you were drowning in them. An intense aura suddenly filled the room as your soulmate mark burned in delight against your skin. You finally understood. The hand that was still holding your wrist and making the skin there feel tingly belonged to your soulmate.

_ Killua. Killua is my soulmate.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! They can speak to each other! Haha, I promise these two will be conversing a lot more now! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think in the comments! I’ll see you all in the next update!
> 
> Stay safe and healthy!  
> \- sailorjac <3


	4. three | moonrise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just popping in to say that there are MAJOR SPOILERS for the anime in this chapter! This story does take place after the anime so please keep that in mind when reading! But don't worry, there are NO SPOILERS for the manga. :) 
> 
> Enjoy everyone, thank you for reading!  
> \- sailorjac <3

You always wondered what would happen once you met your soulmate. 

Would there be instant fireworks and kissing and love and all the wonderful things that come with having a  _ soulmate _ ? Or would your soulmate be repulsed by you and want nothing to do with you? 

Both options weren’t exactly desirable to you. But, luckily, neither of those things happened. Instead, you and Killua stared blankly at each other, both still surprised to be in each other's presence, not exactly sure how to continue. You couldn’t help but notice that his hand on your wrist was cold but gentle. Although his touch was new, it still felt so  _ familiar _ . You felt your cheeks heat up and immediately his eyes widened and he dropped your wrist. 

Gon came closer to you, completely unaware of the unexpected revelation you just had. 

“Killua’s right, (y/n)-chan. We’re not going to let you go out there alone! Come with us!” Gon pleaded at you with his big brown eyes and your heart lurched against your chest.  _ This might be my best option right now... _

You sighed as you looked between Gon and Killua. 

“Alright, let’s go. But we need to stop at my place on the way.” 

  
  


**…**

  
  


“Eh?! (y/n)-chan, why do you live in an abandoned building?” Gon gaped at the old crumbling building in front of the four of you.

You shrugged sheepishly at the group, “I was planning on getting a better place after saving up enough money. It’s really not that bad, honestly.” 

“Not that bad?” Killua snorted. Alluka clung to his side and watched the building with wide eyes, “One strong gust of wind and that thing is crumbling to the ground. You’re living in a Jenga tower.”

You felt your eye twitch in irritation as Gon and Alluka let out a little giggle. 

“You guys stay here while I get my stuff.” 

A cough erupted from your lungs as soon as you stepped inside the old building. Your little makeshift apartment smelled like dust and mold. You couldn’t say that you would miss this place, really. Your last three weeks here haven’t really been all that fun. Sleeping on the floor of this dark and empty place at night was lonely. You couldn’t help but crave  _ more _ .  _ Going to Whale Island should be fun _ , you thought to yourself as you grabbed your things. You loved it when you were twelve and now you could stay there for as long as you wanted. Or, at least until your father found you...

_ He won’t find me there. I just won’t heal while I’m out there. It should be safe there, right?  _

You shook your head in frustration.  _ No time to think about that now. We need to get out of here. _

You tied your black hoodie around your waist and slung your katana over your back. You took one last glance at the empty walls and pulled the two ends of your ponytail apart to make it tighter. With a determined and hopeful smile, you turned around and left the building. 

You would never come back there again. 

  
  


**…**

  
  


Luckily, you, Gon, Alluka, and Killua made it to the ship right before it departed for Whale Island. 

You couldn’t help but watch the sail of the ship ripple in the wind with excitement. It was a beautiful day. You could feel the hot summer rays warm the skin of your scarred arms. You ran to the side of the ship and leaned over the edge as you watched the ship pull away from the port at Yorknew. Gon joined in on your excitement and began to wave joyfully to the people watching the ship leave. 

He turned to you and smiled, “When’s the last time you’ve been on a ship, (y/n)-chan?” 

You smiled back sadly, “I believe it was when I went to Whale Island.”

“Woah!” He said, his eyes shooting open in astonishment, “You must be excited then, right (y/n)-chan?” 

You nodded your head softly as the boy giggled joyfully. Despite the anxiety you felt because of your father, you were pretty excited…

“Come on,” Killua called to you and Gon while crossing his arms behind his mop of cotton colored hair, “let’s go find a spot before these old geezers take up all the space.”

After wandering around the ship, the four of you found a private spot in the corner of a room below deck. You let out a sigh before plopping down to rest your head against the wall. Hesitantly, you removed your katana from your back and laid it down next to you. Alluka took a seat next to you while Gon and Killua sat in front of you. 

“So,” Killua said while leaning back against a pillar, “how do you two know each other?” 

He quirked a brow at you before looking at Gon.

“Oh! (Y/N)-chan came to Whale Island once when we were twelve. She was only there for a day though...so we didn’t really have a lot of time together. But we did have a lot of fun, right (y/n)-chan?” 

You smiled as you nodded, “What about the three of you? How did you guys meet?” 

Gon burst into an animated explanation of how he met Killua and eventually Alluka, with Killua cutting in every so often. Your eyes were wide in surprise and amazement as you watched them explain their adventures. First the Hunter Exam, then a trip to Killua’s home on Kukuroo Mountain, then their battles and training with Nen at Heaven’s Arena, then their fight against the Phantom Troupe in Yorknew City, right after that they beat an intense video game for Hunters called Greed Island and then they went to go fight these things called Chimera Ants and Gon got  _ really  _ big and then he was  _ really _ injured and then Alluka saved him and then Gon climbed the freakin’  _ world tree _ to meet his father  _ Ging Freecss _ . By the time they were done explaining, your head was spinning and the sun had sunk below the horizon. 

“Wow,” was all you could breathe. You were completely astonished.  _ How could it be possible to accomplish all of that within the time span of about a year give or take?  _ Your (e/c) eyes flickered between Killua and Gon as you gazed at them in amazement and  _ envy _ . You had to admit, you were a little bit jealous. These two had experienced so much together. They lived so much  _ life _ together. That was something you never got to have before. Adventure. 

“That’s really amazing,” you finished. 

_ Would it be possible for me to have my own adventure too?  _

“(Y/N)-chan, what have you been up to these last few ye-” 

Gon was cut off when Alluka let out a loud yawn and then proceeded to lay her head on your lap and curl up. Your eyebrows shot up in surprise at the little girl getting cozy on your lap.

Killua gaped at his sister, “Alluka, she’s not your personal pi-” 

Alluka cut him off by turning over and looking up at you with her soft blue eyes, “(Y/N)-chan?” 

“Yes, Alluka?” 

“Can you tell me a bedtime story,” she whined, “Onii-chan always tells  _ boy  _ bedtime stories.” 

“Eh?!” He gasped while pointing an offended finger at her, “I do not!” 

She huffed and defiantly crossed her arms over her chest, “Yes you do! Superhero stories aren’t for girls, onii-chan!” 

You laughed softly at their bickering, “Okay, okay. I do know  _ one _ story. Don’t worry, it’s not a  _ boy _ story.” 

Killua huffed in annoyance while muttering under his breath about his stories were actually  _ super good _ . You hoped that Alluka would like your story. It was a story your mom would tell you sometimes before you went to sleep at night. 

Alluka snuggled closer to your lap and watched you expectantly, “There was once a princess who lived in a castle. The king and the queen never let the princess leave the castle and the princess wanted to explore the outside more than anything. One evening, a genie appeared in the princess’s room and said that the princess had only one wish, but she couldn’t wish to leave the castle. So, the princess thought long and hard about what she wanted to wish for. When the time came for the princess to make her wish she wished for…” 

You looked down to see Alluka fast asleep in your lap. A warm smile spread across your cheeks when you looked up to see Gon fast asleep against the wall with his mouth hanging open. 

“Well, that didn’t take long,” a small smirk tugged at Killua’s lips as he stood up, “Come on, let’s talk outside.” 

_ Shit. Of course, you still had to address this whole soulmate thing.  _ You bit your lip anxiously as you gently lifted Alluka’s head from your lap and rested it on your folded up hoodie. _ Don’t say anything stupid, don’t say anything stupid, don’t say anything stupid.  _ You stood up from your spot on the floor and followed Killua out onto the top deck. 

The deck was dark and quiet,  _ peaceful _ . The only thing illuminating the space was the gloom of the full moon overhead and the bright litter of stars in the sky. It was breathtaking. You hadn’t seen this many stars in a very long time. The waves crashed softly against the side of the ship as you followed Killua and leaned against the banister separating the both of you from the ocean. 

You were both silent for a moment, both struggling to find what exactly it was that you wanted to say to each other. After years of feeling each other’s emotions. Every high and every low. Every moment of happiness, and every moment of agonizing pain and loneliness. You both shared those experiences with each other, voluntarily or not, you couldn’t deny that you’ve  _ always  _ shared a part of yourself with him, and he shared himself with you too. And now, seemingly coming out of nowhere, he was right next to you. 

Killua was the one to break the silence, “Those people that are after you...your father...is he the one that’s been causing you pain all these years?” 

You looked over at him, his cerulean eyes were hard and focused on the empty horizon.

“Yes,” you replied honestly.

“Why are they coming after you?” 

You sighed as you leaned against the banister with all of your weight, “For the last nine years, my father has used me and my nen ability as a tool to fix his wounded men in his gang. He thinks that I owe him my life since he took me in after my mom was...killed. I escaped a little while ago. At first, I was staying in Junipo City, but that didn’t work out so I came to Yorknew, and now I’m here.” 

Someway through your story, Killua found himself staring at you. You met his eyes before asking, “What about you?” 

You didn’t want to add on,  _ where was your pain coming from? Who caused you so much fear and loneliness? _ You figured he knew what you meant. 

He smirked, “Well, you know that I’m an assassin, right (y/n)?” 

Gon didn’t explicitly say so in his story but you figured that he must have had  _ some  _ kind of background in combat from what Gon was explaining. You guessed he must have been a ninja or an assassin of some kind. 

Your eyes traveled up and down his figure.  _ He’s definitely got the build of an assassin _ , “I gathered that.” 

He looked away from you, hiding the faint dusting of pink tinting his cheeks. 

“Yeah? Well, training as an assassin in my house isn’t easy. My parents and siblings hurt me physically, emotionally, and mentally to make me stronger. They wanted me to inherit the business, but I didn’t feel like taking it so I left. They still want me to take it. But, they don’t try to force me to come home because they know I’ll just leave again. They think I’ll just come back one day on my own and take it over,  _ idiots _ .” 

You furrowed your eyebrows together and bit your lip before turning to him, “Killua?” 

“What?” 

“Now that we’ve found each other, what are we supposed to do?” 

He blinked at you, “What do you mean what are we supposed to  _ do _ ? Do what?” 

Your cheeks immediately turned a dark shade of scarlet, “Well, we are  _ soulmates _ . We’re destined to-to  _ betogetherforeverso _ are we supposed to...uhh..” 

Killua choked on air as he turned to you and yelled, “Baka! Why would you say something embarrassing like that? Just because we’re soulmates doesn’t mean we have to be to-together. Not right now!” 

Now both of your faces were scarlet. 

“Right…I agree,” You choked out, desperately fighting off the heat in your cheeks. 

Killua peeked at you from the corner of his eye, “Well, let’s just be friends for now. You should stick with Gon, Alluka, and I.” 

“Eh? Why?” 

He smirked and closed his eyes, “Because, you probably won’t survive without us. Also, Whale Island will be safe for you.” 

You scowled at him, “I can take care of myself.” 

He let out a chuckle, “Oh? And how did that turn out for you,  _ baka _ ? You were literally living in a building that was about to collapse.” 

You huffed and crossed your arms over your chest, “Stop calling me ‘baka.’” 

It was silent for a moment before Killua spoke up with a tone more serious than the playful one he was using only a few moments prior. 

“Thanks, (y/n).” 

You turned to him, your eyebrows knit in confusion, “For what?” 

Killua folded his arms behind his head before saying, “For saving my sister. You saved her even though you knew you would be giving up your location. You traded up your security to save a girl you didn’t know. You’re pretty interesting, (y/n). Kind of an idiot, but interesting.” 

Your face began to heat up again. 

“Come on, (y/n). Let’s go back. Alluka will be upset if she wakes up to see that I took her personal pillow. Oh, and don’t expect me to say ‘thank you’ to you again. That was a one-time thing.” 

You followed him as he began his trip back to your spot below deck.

  
“What? Why?” 

He turned to you with a smirk. 

“Friends are supposed to help each other. It would be lame to thank you for every little thing you do, (y/n).” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh, writing this interaction was so difficult! I hope you guys enjoyed it! Guess what? I got mochi today! My favorite snack! What’s your favorite snack? Do you guys like mochi?  
> Thank you for the love AO3! I really appreciate your comments and kudos! It keeps me motivated! 
> 
> Much love  
> \- sailorjac <3


	5. four | eyes like the night sky

“Wow! There it is!” Gon beamed while jumping and pointing to the whale-shaped island on the horizon.

You stood next to Killua as Alluka peeped over the side of the ship with her big baby blue eyes. She gasped in amazement as she took in the island. You couldn’t help but adore her. This girl that you met only a few days before...reminded you a lot of yourself. Killua and Gon told you about how Alluka had been stuck inside the Zoldyck estate at Kukuroo Mountain for most of her life because of her abilities. While they didn’t abuse her, you believed that not letting her outside was an abuse in itself.

“Are you excited to see the island, Alluka-chan?” You asked the shorter girl.

She looked up at you with the biggest smile, “Yeah!”

You could tell that she was as excited to see the world as you were.

**...**

Gon waved furiously as he sprinted up the hill to his house.

“Mito-san! Mito-saannn! I’m home, Mito-san!”

You chuckled at his enthusiasm as you trailed behind him with Killua and Alluka. As you reached the top of the hill, you could see a familiar brick house with a laundry rack posted on the side of it. You could see and smell the ocean from the top of the hill. It was just as you remembered, so beautiful and serene.

“Gon!” Mito burst as she ran from the house and embraced him. Mito-san looked the same as you remembered too, she didn’t age a bit. Gon, however, was now Mito-san’s height, his dark hair towered over her.

When the pair ended their embrace, Mito looked up to see you, Killua and Alluka watching their exchange.

She looked at Killua and said, “It’s nice to see you again, Killua.”

Her hazel eyes flickered over to you and widened, “(Y/N)-chan, is that you?”

You nodded your head shyly as she walked over to you and grabbed your hands.

“(Y/N)-chan...I can’t believe how much you’ve grown! You’ve grown to be such a beautiful girl, right Gon?” She asked as she looked back over her shoulder to her nephew.

You felt your cheeks warm-up in embarrassment as you heard an unapologetic, “Yeah!” from Gon in the distance.

The woman embraced you suddenly before saying, “Gon and I always wondered when you would return. It’s nice to see you again, (Y/N)-chan, please stay for as long as you want.”

You closed your eyes tightly as you hugged her back. For a moment, just for a moment, it felt like your mother was embracing you.

“Thank you, Mito-san. It’s nice to see you again too.”

She pulled away from you and looked at Alluka, who was holding Killua’s hand.

“Oh? And who is this?”

Killua smirked as he gestured to Alluka, “Mito-san, this is my younger sister, Alluka.”

Mito smiled as she kneeled down to Alluka’s height, “It’s nice to meet you, Alluka-chan. Would you like to come inside and have some cake?”

“Yes please,” Alluka squealed before taking Mito-san’s hand.

You looked at Killua as he watched his sister walk into the house with Mito. There was nothing but compassion in his eyes as he watched her skip happily into the house. _The look in his eyes is so different from his usual passive one…_

“I think she’s going to have a lot of fun here,” You said, smiling at him and breaking his daze.

He focused his eyes on you and smirked, “Yeah, I know.”

**...**

**“** But Mito-san, we were going to explore the island!” Gon whined.

Mito-san huffed as she mixed ingredients in the kitchen, “No ‘buts’, Gon! You can explore the island tomorrow. It’s getting late, the sun is going to set in an hour. You and Killua should go bathe now before dinner, you’re filthy.”

You snickered as she began counting down from ten and Gon began running around in a panic. He snatched Killua off of the couch and pulled him upstairs as he let out a groan of annoyance.

Mito-san came out of the kitchen with a towel. “(Y/N)-chan, how about you take a bath down here while the boys take their baths upstairs? I can get you some of my old clothes if you’d like?”

You stood up from your spot on the couch, “Thank you, Mito-san, that sounds nice.”

She nodded with a smile and disappeared into her bedroom.

It would be nice to have a change of clothes. You were still wearing the clothes that you wore when you saved Alluka in the alley. You looked down at the dirty clothes with a frown. A little bit of Alluka’s blood still tainted your shirt. _If only I had gotten there sooner, maybe she wouldn’t have been hurt._ You clenched your fist tightly. _No, can’t think about that now. Besides, she’s safe now._

“Here you go, (Y/N)-chan,” Mito-san handed you a folded stack of clothes, “I prepared the bath for you too, it’s right down the hall.”

“Thank you, Mito-san,” you looked back at Alluka who was sitting on the couch, “I’ll be right back, Alluka-chan.”

She gave you a small thumbs-up before you walked into the bathroom.

You began removing your shirt and sighed when you saw a dark purple bruise painted over the (s/c) skin on your stomach. _That asshole really landed a good hit, didn’t he? I didn’t even think to use Ken. I guess I’m kinda rusty._ You released your knotted hair from your ponytail and removed your clothes before sinking into the hot bath.

**...**

_Thump._ You lifted your head off of your mat to glare at Killua, “Hey! What was that for?”

He shrugged before putting his hands behind his head and plopping down onto his own mat, “I said ‘heads up.’ It’s not my fault that your ears don’t work.”

You huffed in annoyance before taking the pillow he threw at you and fixing it beneath your head.

After your bath, Mito-san cooked the most delicious dinner. The last time that you had a home-cooked meal was when she cooked one for you five years ago. Maybe while you were here she could teach you how to cook something…

Alluka pouted at you from Gon’s bed, “(Y/N)-chan, can you do my hair for bedtime?”

You smiled at her, “Sure.”

You sat behind her and began to braid her hair. As you were braiding Alluka’s hair, Gon pranced into the room with two DVDs in his hands.

“Which movie should we watch guys, Tangled or Spider-Man?”

The Zoldyck pair yelled out their choices at the same time.

“Tangled!”

“Spider-Man!”

Alluka pouted at her older brother and he sighed in frustration, “Fine. Play the princess movie.”

Alluka let out a cheer and Gon slipped the movie into the player before laying down on his mat. The four of you stayed awake watching the movie for a little while. Alluka fell asleep during the first 30 minutes, Gon in the first hour, and you fell asleep a little after him.

Killua would never admit it to the rest of them, but he was the only one that stayed awake to finish the whole thing. He told himself it was only because he wasn’t tired.

**...**

You kneeled down to the sand and picked up a pink seashell.

“Alluka-chan, this is the beach!” Gon yelled excitedly.

The four of you had spent the day walking all over Whale Island. Gon showed Alluka everything you saw when you first toured the island.

The girl watched the waves hit the shore with sparkling eyes. She looked up to Killua and asked, “Can we swim in there, onii-chan?”

He gave her a small smile before saying, “Yeah, another day. We’ll come back with clothes that you can swim in.”

_This is probably her first time at the beach..._

The four of you ended up running to the shoreline anyway, just to dip your feet in the water. Alluka squealed when the cold water hit her feet while Gon jumped and whined, complaining about the water’s cool temperature. You laughed softly at his misery.

Killua walked a little further into the water, allowing his calves to get wet in the water. He seemed unbothered by the cold water.

Suddenly, a fish leaped out of the water behind Killua and flopped carelessly back into it, splashing cold water onto Killua’s back.

He turned around and sent an icy glare your way, “(Y/N)...did you just _splash_ me?”

You bunched your eyebrows together and backed away from him slowly, your hands raised in defense, “Eh?! That wasn’t me, Killua! It was a fish!”

“You really are a _baka_! You’re gonna pay for that!” Killua said menacingly before splashing cold water all over the front of your outfit.

You gasped in surprise as the water chilled your body. Killua looked at you with a cat-like smile on his face before saying, “That’s better. Now we’re even.”

“You little _shit_!” He let out a laugh at your soaked form.

You glared at him before kicking your foot out and dousing him with water again. It didn’t take long for this splashing exchange to turn out into a full out _war_. Killua and you kept going back and forth splashing each other with water like you were little kids. Soon enough, Alluka joined in to help you splash Killua, and Gon joined Killua in dousing the both of you.

Splashing soon turned into dunking each other in the water. Killua started it, _of course_.

The boy went underneath the water and swam up behind you. Before you could even register what happened, he whispered, “Boo!” in your ear and tossed you over his shoulder into the water.

Killua laughed as soon as you went under and went to leave the water but before he could get out, you sprung out of the water and tackled him under. You made sure to hold his head under for good measure. Killua was much stronger than he looked, though. From underneath the water, he swung his foot around and kicked your legs from under you. You let out a yelp before face planting into the water.

Gon and Alluka laughed hysterically at the both of you. By the time your water fight was over, the sun was setting over the ocean.

“Come on,” Gon called while walking out of the ocean, “there’s one more thing I want to show you guys!”

The four of you trudged out of the ocean and did your best to squeeze the excess water out of your clothes. You nudged Killua with your shoulder, “You know I won that, right?”

Killua rolled his eyes, “ _That_ ended with your face on the ocean floor, _baka_. I won.”

You smiled mischievously, “Next time, it’ll end with _your_ face on the ocean floor.”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that, “ He snickered.

You couldn’t seem to stop smiling as you followed Gon, Killua, and Alluka through the woods. It’s been a while since you’ve... _played_. It was nice to let loose and not be so serious for a change. It was nice to not look over your shoulder every five minutes. In fact, when you were with them, you found yourself not thinking about your father at all.

You weren’t sure if that was dangerous or good.

**...** ****

By the time you arrived at your destination, the sky was painted with millions of stars and your clothes were almost dry. Gon led all of you to a large clearing in the forest. There was a little pond with ducklings swimming in it in one section of the clearing. You believed that the most breathtaking part of it all was the fireflies that lit up the clearing.

“Alluka-chan, take this.” Gon said, pulling out a jar from his bag that had holes on the cap, “You can catch fireflies with it but when we leave we have to set them free, okay?”

“Okay!” Alluka hummed in appreciation before taking the jar and walking through the field trying to catch fireflies with her small hands.

You laid down on the glass and watched the stars twinkle above you. Gon and Killua sighed as they laid down to your right.

“(Y/N)-chan?” You heard Gon inquire from your right.

You turned your head to look at him, “Yeah?”

“I never got to hear what you’ve been up to these last few years. Where did you go after you left Whale Island?”

 _That’s right._ Even though you told Killua where you were, you never got around to telling Gon.

“I’ve been stuck with my father for nine years, Gon. After my mom died, he took me in and used me for my healing abilities. When I first met you on Whale Island a few years ago, I was there on a ‘business trip’ with my father. I escaped from him not too long ago.”

Gon’s usual happy glint in his eye turned into something darker, something aggressive in nature. 

It frightened you.

“And he was who you were running from?”

You nodded slowly before quickly reassuring him, “Yes, but he shouldn’t be able to find me now! As long as I don’t heal, he shouldn’t be able to locate me.”

Killua sat up beside Gon to look over at you, “How does that work?”

“How does what work?”

“Your nen ability. Your healing. How does it work?”

You purse your lips in an attempt to explain it to them, “Well, I use my own life energy to heal others quickly and efficiently. That’s why when I use too much of it, or combine it with my offensive nen ability, I get really tired. Also, anyone I’ve healed in the past can see through my eyes when I heal. Therefore, my father and his gang members can all see who I heal and the space that I’m healing them in, Alluka can see that now too.”

Gon’s lips widened into a smile, “Wow! That’s really cool, (Y/N-chan)! Does your offensive ability involve that cool katana you carry around?”

You nodded enthusiastically, “Yeah, maybe I’ll show it to you guys one day.”

It went silent for a moment as you all settled back down.

“(Y/N)-chan?” Gon inquired softly.

“Yeah?”

“Will you stay with us, (Y/N)-chan? At least until we know for sure your dad isn’t tracking you anymore?” Gon asked carefully.

You stayed silent. Killua suggested that you stay with them the other night and while you agreed Whale Island was the safest place for you right now, was it really safe for _them_? For _Alluka_? For now, yes, Whale Island was safe for all of you as long as your location wasn’t revealed to your father…

You smiled sadly at Gon, “I’ll stay with you. But, if our location is revealed, I’ll have to leave you guys. I won’t let my father hurt any of you.”

Gon chuckled, “Don’t worry, (Y/N)-chan! Killua and I learned Nen a long time ago. We’ll be able to defend ourselves and Alluka. Besides, we’re friends, right? We should all just stick together.”

“Yeah. We’re friends, Gon-kun. Thank you, both of you, for taking me with you to Whale Island. It’s been a long time since I’ve had people that I could call friends...”

Gon beamed at you, “We’re happy to have met you, (Y/N)-chan! Today was a lot of fun!”

Gon’s phone buzzed in his pocket, “I’ll be right back, it might be Mito-san!” He jumped up and walked away from you and Killua, leaving both of you alone.

“Who were you with before you met us?” He asked plainly, eyes still trained on the sky.

“Huh?” You asked, turning your head to look at the silver-haired boy.

You noticed that his eyes resembled the night sky when he turned his head to look at you, “The person you kissed. Wasn’t that person your friend?”

 _Oh_. _That’s right, he felt it._

Your face flushed a tomato red before sputtering out, “He-He wasn’t my _friend_ , Killua.”

“Boyfriend?” He asked in a bored tone.

“No!” You all but yelled out.

He turned his head to look back up at the stars, “Who was he then?”

You sighed before saying, “Someone sent by my father to take me back. I overheard him on the phone telling someone where I would be in two weeks after the Hunter Exam...they were talking about the payment too. After I heard all of that, I left.”

Killua hesitated before turning his head back to you and asking, “So, why did you kiss him then?”

Your (e/c) eyes met his royal blue ones and you tried your best to ignore the fact that your heart skipped a beat, “I didn’t kiss him, Killua. He kissed me. He assumed that I had feelings for him and used that kiss to try to get me to stay. I thought I had feelings for him too if I’m being honest, but I think I just liked the security that came with him. He took care of me when I first left my father and I felt...safe. I shouldn’t have trusted him so easily.”

Killua clenched his fist against his side, “What was his name?”

“Giichi.”

“Giichi is an asshole. You’re safe with us, (Y/N). You don’t need to run around trusting _lowlives_ anymore.”

You smiled at him before turning your head to look back up at the stars, “I know.”

Gon ran back to both of you excitedly with his phone still clutched in his hand, “That was Kurapika!”

_Why does that name sound familiar?_

Killua sat up and looked at him, “What did he want?”

“He’s coming to visit with Leorio!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG almost 3000 words I am so sorry guys!! I promise I’ll try to make these updates shorter!! Ahhhhh, gomen!!! But WOW! Thank you all so much for the Kudos and the kind comments! It really makes my day whenever I get a comment or a kudo!! I'll continue to work hard for you guys! 
> 
> Much love  
> -sailorjac<3


	6. five | life and death

_“I can’t,” you panted with exhaustion, a drop of blood flowing from the wound on your head, “there’s just too many of them. I need-need to recharge or else I won’t be able to-”_

_You let out a gasp at the sudden sting you felt from your father’s hand striking against your cheek. Your eyes trailed to the litter of wounded men laying around you in the concrete of your cell. Their chests rose and fell unevenly, some of them whimpered and groaned in pain._

_“You’re weak,” he spat at you, “just like your mother. That stupid bitch didn’t train you hard enough.”_

_His hand clenched around your neck and lifted you from the floor, “It’s time for you to toughen up, rat. Are you really going to let all of these people die when you have the power to heal them? Your mother would be so disappointed in the waste of space you’ve become.”_

_Your dirty hands clawed at the hands squeezing your neck as you desperately gasped for air. Tears pricked the corners of your eyes as you thrashed in his grasp._

_His (e/c) eyes bore into yours, “You’re pathetic. You’re lucky you have me. Without me, you would be nothing. You need me to survive. Nobody would stay with a weakling like you, (Y/N),”_

_I can’t breathe._

_“(Y/N)...”_

_I can’t_ **_breathe_ ** _._

_“(Y/N)!”_

Your eyes shot open to meet a pair of sleepy royal blue ones looking down into yours with concern. His pale hands were gripping your shoulders hard and his snowy hair laid disheveled on his forehead. He appeared to be shirtless. Tears still rimmed your eyes as you squinted to focus your vision.

“Killua?”

The boy flushed a little at your closeness before letting go of your shoulders and sitting back on his mat and looking away from you, “You were sobbing in your sleep.”

_Damn_. Nightmares like this weren’t something new to you, but you hoped that you wouldn’t have a bad one while you were with Gon and Killua. You blinked at him before rubbing the tears away from your eyes and sitting up, “I’m sorry, I had a nightmare. Did I wake you?”

He shook his head, “No, I was awake. But I figured I should wake you before you woke up Gon or Alluka.”

“Right, of course,” your eyes trailed across his pale, toned chest and over his collarbone where his soulmate mark was neatly stamped.

A moment of heavy silence floated between the two of you. An unspoken understanding lingered in the air. Killua knew what it was like to have nightmares. He knew that what happened in nightmares lingered like a poison in your mind every day. He decided against asking you about yours for now.

The moonlight shimmered through the window of Gon’s room and bathed the two of you in a silver glow.

“Hey, Killua?” You whispered.

“What?”

“Can I...look at your soulmate mark?”

He looked at you curiously while furrowing his eyebrows, “W-Why do you want to _look_ at it? You can see it from there.”

You shrugged and looked down at your mat while playing with your fingers, “I don’t know. I just want to look at it. For my whole life, I’ve always seen my own in the mirror, I guess I’ve been wondering what... _you’ve_ been looking at all of this time.”

He sighed in agitation before whispering back, “Fine.”

You used your knees to crawl forward and sit directly in front of him on his mat. You leaned forward to get a better look at his right collarbone. His blue irises shimmered in the moonlight as he watched you read the mark slowly in your head.

“ _Please_! _Please let me heal her! I can save her but we don’t have much time left!_ ”

You frowned at the unpleasant memory of Alluka bleeding out in your arms.

Killua leaned back and scoffed, “Okay, that’s enough looking. You’ve definitely read it by now unless you can’t _read_.”

You leaned back on your legs but still watched him with a curious glint in your (e/c) eyes, “What did you feel when you realized you had a soulmate, Killua?”

His eyebrow quirked in annoyance as he looked at you, “Why do you want to know that right now? Can’t we just go to bed?”

You looked away, slightly frustrated at your lack of answers.

When the silence had gone on for far too long, Killua let out a frustrated sigh before leaning his head back saying, “I was annoyed.”

You looked back at him and glared. _Annoyed?_

He crossed his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, “With my parents trying to force me into taking the family business and being forced to stay inside to train...learning that I had a soulmate made me feel more irritated than I already was. I felt like I had no control over my life. I mean, who _wants_ to have their whole life mapped out for them. When I left home to take the Hunter exam, I was planning on leaving all of that stuff behind. But, I guess running away led me straight to you.” One of his cerulean eyes opened to peep at you teasingly, “Isn’t that ironic?”

Your glare softened as you let out a little chuckle and looked down at your lap, “I guess. I felt something similar when I ran away from my dad.” Both of his eyes opened to look at you softly. “When I left...I wanted to gain back my independence. Control my own life, you know? But I guess I never really found that. I don’t know when I’ll ever be in control, to be honest. Who knows when my dad will leave me alone? Who knows _if_ he’ll ever leave me alone…” _I can’t even sleep without him finding me in my dreams._

Killua watched you with an unreadable expression on his face.

“But you know, Killua, I never really thought of you...my soulmate, I mean…” You didn’t notice Killua’s face flush red in the darkness of the night. “I never thought of you as something that would keep me from having my independence. My mom told me that having a soulmate was a gift. It’s really rare. She told me that...that soulmates make each other stronger.” You looked up at him, your determined (e/c) eyes meeting his electric blue ones. “So if you think I’d ever try to hold you back or control you, you’re wrong.”

He broke your intense gaze by closing his eyes and looking away from you with a smirk. _This girl...she never fails to surprise me_ , he thought to himself.

He sighs and lays his head back down against his mat, “Yeah, I didn’t think you would…”

“Killua?”

“Hmm?”

“Are we going to tell Gon and Alluka about...us?”

Killua pursed his lips. _Gon will probably make us do...embarrassing things...Alluka would definitely pester me about it. Damn, so annoying._

He turned on his side, facing away from you, “We’ll tell them soon. Not now. Get some sleep. Kurapika and Leorio are coming in the morning.”

You smiled to yourself before laying your head down on your mat, “Okay. Night, Killua.”

When Killua noticed that your breathing became even, he flipped over to look at you. (H/L) (h/c) hair surrounded you like a halo as deep breaths of air flowed in through your nose and out of your soft lips. Your cheeks were rosy. You looked...peaceful. His heart rate sped up ever so slightly.

Killua sighed to himself before turning around and looking away.

_My parents never wanted me to find you, (y/n). In fact, they told me that when I found you, that I should kill you immediately. They told me that having a soulmate was dangerous, that it would only slow me down and stop me from reaching my full potential. A soulmate would make me weak._

_Were they really scared of that? Or were they scared that I would pull further away from them when I met you, (y/n), and become stronger like you said?_

“ _Please! Please let me heal her! I can save her but we don’t have much time left!_ ”

_It’s funny...your first words represent life...but they were carved on a person born to kill._

**...**

Your eyes widened in alarm when a tall lanky man pointed at you from the front door of Gon’s house and screamed, “Eh?! Who’s that pretty girl?!”

The blonde-haired boy next to him scowled and elbowed him, “Close your mouth, Leorio. You’re drooling.”

You blinked at him innocently, “Uh...it’s nice to meet you. Leorio-san, was it?”

The poor old man’s nose was practically bleeding at this point.

Killua growled before chopping Leorio in the back of his neck and scowling, “Hey would you stop being a pervert for five minutes _old man_?”

The look of desire quickly faded into frustration as he glared at Killua, “Oi, cut that out we’re in the same generation!”

Your eyes glazed over in confusion as you tilted your head to look at Leorio. _S-same generation?_

The blonde-haired boy next to Leorio chuckled softly to himself at the adorable confused expression on your face. He stepped forward and shook your hand gently with his, “There’s no need to use honorifics with Leorio or myself, (Y/N). It’s nice to meet you, my name is Kurapika.”

You smiled softly at him, your pretty (e/c) eyes crinkling at the corners, “It’s nice to meet you too, Kurapika.”

Your smile dropped slowly when you saw a flash of red coming from the jewel dropping from his earlobe. _That earring...this must be the Kurta boy Gon was telling me about. Kurapika...yes I knew that name sounded familiar._

Kurapika squinted his eyes at you as you looked at his earring, suddenly feeling a little defensive about the gem from his clan. He was about to question the recognition in your eyes but Mito cut him off before he could open his mouth.

“Oh!” Aunt Mito smiled as she entered the room, rubbing her hands on her apron. “It’s nice to see that you boys got here safely.”

You watched as Kurapika and Leorio went to greet Aunt Mito. There were so many questions you wanted to ask him…

“Yo,” Killua whispered in your ear.

You turned your head to look into his deep blue eyes. “What is it?” you whispered back to him.

His eyes scanned you up and down as he sipped on his juice box. _Why is he so close right now?_ “You okay?” He asked. “You look like you’re constipated.”

“ _Pfft_. No, I don’t!” You huffed at him. He gave you a catfish smile before turning away from you. _He can be a real pest sometimes..._

“Gon? Can you and your friends go out and get me some cocoa beans? I want to make some chocolate cake for dessert tonight.”

Gon gave her a smile, “Okay Mito-sa-”

Killua was already running out the door.

**...**

The six of you gathered in a circle in front of Gon’s house.

“Yosh! Let’s split up! It’ll be easier to collect the beans if we find them in different groups!” Gon beamed. He put his finger to his lips for a moment while contemplating who should be in each group before snapping and saying, “Okay! I will go with Alluka-chan!” Alluka let out a small cheer. “Leorio, you go with (y/n).”

Before you could move towards Leorio, Killua jumped in front of you, “Gon, don’t make her go with that pervert! Look at him he’s practically drooling all over himself!”

Leorio, who was in fact drooling, straightens up and lets out a hurt, “Huh!?”

Gon purses his lips, “Hmm. Okay, Killua you go with Leorio!”

Killua’s mouth was agape and his eyebrows twitched in frustration, “Hah?!”

You shrugged your shoulders and smiled, “Okay, I guess I’ll go with Kurapika then.” You looked over to the blonde boy, “Are you ready to go?”

Kurapika nodded at you, his lips in a firm line, “Yeah.” He couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive about you. _This girl, she definitely knows something about my clan. She seems to be a really friendly person, but I won’t be able to trust her until I know what her connection is to my clan._

You tightened the strap of your katana’s holder across your chest and turned to walk down the hill, “Let’s get a head start then!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha hey guys! Long time no see! Sorry it took me so long to update, writer's block has been killing me :,(( buttttt I got a burst of inspiration tonight and finished up this chapter! Woohoo! This chapter was actually so long (4000 words) that I had to split it up into two chapters! So chapter six should be coming tomorrow! I hope you guys are enjoying so far, let me know what you think in the comments! (⌯˃̶᷄ ﹏ ˂̶᷄⌯)ﾟ
> 
> Until next time (probably tmrw), 
> 
> -sailorjac<3


	7. six | another link

You walked alongside Kurapika in the forest in silence. It was peaceful. Sunlight filtered through the fern leaves on the trees overhead, illuminating the lighter strands of blonde in Kurapika’s hair. Occasionally, his earring would sparkle in the light too, causing you to get distracted and eye it in wonder. 

“(Y/n),” Kurapika called and tilted his head to a tree with football-shaped pods on it by a stream, “the cocoa beans are in that tree.” 

You smiled at him again and nodded, “Oh. For some reason, I thought it would be harder to find them.” 

Together, you and Kurapika began to pluck the pods from the tree and throw it into a basket Mito had given to Kurapika. 

“So, (Y/N), you’re not from around here are you?” Kurapika asked while placing the pods in the basket. 

You stopped plucking and quirked a brow at him, “How’d you guess?” 

Kurapika shrugged but didn’t turn to look at you, “You said that you thought the cocoa beans would be hard to find, when in fact they’re very common on this island.” 

You smiled and turned back to picking, “Yeah, I haven’t been here very long. I don’t know too much about Whale Island, even though this is actually my second time on the island.” You let out a small chuckle. 

Kurapika turned to you and raised one of his blonde brows, “Second?” 

You let out a small _‘mhmm’_ of confirmation before jumping into an explanation of how you met Gon, and then Killua and Alluka while simultaneously picking the pods from the cocoa tree. By the time you were done explaining, the basket was full. 

Kurapika was slightly disappointed by your story. There was no obvious correlation between you and his clan. 

Kurapika looked down at his basket, “I see.” After thinking to himself for a moment, he whipped his head back up to look at you. “(Y/N)?” 

“Yeah?” 

His eyes, once soft yet guarded, became hard and cold as stone. “I noticed that you’ve been looking at my earring all day. Do you recognize it?” 

You bit your lip and looked down at your feet, feeling slightly guilty for making him uncomfortable, “Gomen, Kurapika. I didn’t mean to stare…I do recognize it. It’s a Kurta gem right?” 

Kurapika immediately took a threatening step forward, his eyes becoming a soft red. “How do you know about Kurta Gems?” 

Your eyes widened when you looked up to see his hard red ones. You raised your hands slightly in defense, backing away from the closeness that he created between the two of you. “I-I actually wanted to talk to you about that.” You gulped and looked away from him, desperately wanting to break the tension. “Do you mind if we sit?” You asked hesitantly while gesturing to two medium-sized boulders by the stream. 

Hesitantly, Kurapika broke his stance and followed you to sit on the rocks. You wrung your hands nervously as you watched the stream shimmer in the sunlight. _His aura, he’s so angry...I should get straight to the point before he gets frustrated._

“My mother,” You whispered to him softly while looking back up to his eyes, “she had a pair of earrings just like yours. She was a member of the Kurta clan.” 

The hard look in his eyes immediately softened as he watched you speak. 

“Her name was (Y/M/N), maybe you knew her? She was away from the clan for most of her life, she only returned with me when I was young, right before she passed away. She took me there to train. She taught me _nen_ there, away from my father. She gave me my Katana there and taught me how to use it. She taught me to be kind and always care for others….” Your vision began to blur with thick tears. “Gomenasai, Kurapika. If I wasn’t with my father that night...that night they were killed, maybe I could have saved them. My mother told me that since I have the power to heal those in danger, I should always save people when I can...but I didn’t.” 

You were startled when a strong hand laid on top of yours. 

“There’s no need to apologize, (Y/N). You did nothing wrong, and there was nothing you could have done to save them.” He squeezed your hand gently as tears trailed silently down your cheeks. “Your mother, (Y/M/N)-san, she would be proud of you for what you did for Alluka-chan, despite the consequences you knew it would have for you. You saved her.” 

He let go of your hand and looked down to the stream with a smile, “Over the years, I’ve been so angry with the Phantom Troupe for killing my clan. It was only recently that I thought to myself, _my clan is only truly dead if I allow them to be._ (Y/N), if you continue to abide by all of your mother’s teachings, then she’ll live on through you.” He looked back up at you with a small smile. “I’m sure of it.” 

You gave him the biggest smile you could muster while wiping your eyes to get rid of the remaining tears, “Thank you, Kurapika.” 

A faint blush spread across his face as he looked away from you, “Of course.” When his blush faded he turned back to look at your eyes, “(Y/N), did you inherit the scarlet eyes from your mother?” 

You shook your head sheepishly while scratching the back of your neck, “Unfortunately not, I inherited my father’s eyes, I guess.” 

Kurapika hummed quietly in understanding, lost in thought as his eyes emptily stared at the stream and faded back to their dark gray color. 

“Ne, Kurapika?” You asked breaking him from his train of thought.

“Yes, (y/n)?” 

You played with your fingernails before nervously asking, “Can you tell me about your childhood with the Kurtas? I only spent a little bit of time there and I don’t remember my mother ever telling me about her childhood so…” 

He smiled at your nervousness, “Sure, I’ll tell you about it.” 

Your (e/c) orbs watched Kurapika in amazement as he happily recounted his childhood with the Kurta clan, his parents, and his friend Pairo. The both of you spent a few hours sitting there talking, the cocoa beans completely forgotten by your side. 

  
  


**...**

  
  


“ _Kuso..._ We’ve been out here for hours picking cocoa beans and now we have to look for (Y/N) and Kurapika!?” Leorio whined while dragging a bag of cocoa pods on the ground. 

Killua trailed in front of him with his hands behind his head and his eyes squeezed shut in annoyance, “Oi, would you shut up old-man? If you don’t stop complaining I’ll give you a reason to complain.” 

Leorio growled and scowled, “And _you_ , what’s your deal? You’re more annoying than usual. Is it (y/n)? Does that girl have you _hot and bother_ -” 

Killua's face immediately flushed red but he didn’t dare turn around to face Leorio. “I said _zip it._ Man, I knew you were dumb but I didn’t know you were _that_ dumb. Can’t you take a hint?” 

Leorio’s face twisted and grew red in an angry scowl, “Why you little-” He cut himself off when he spotted you and Kurapika sitting on some rocks by a stream. “There they are.” 

Killua opened one azul eye to see you sitting closely to Kurapika, talking and laughing with him all while giving him a big smile. The setting sun illuminated the color of your (h/c) hair and made your (e/c) eyes sparkle more than usual. 

He felt his heart squeeze a little in his chest. _What is going on with me?_

“Oi! Kurapika! (Y/N)! Let’s go! We have to go back!” Leorio screeched at the pair. 

You and Kurapika got up from your seats and walked the rest of the way home together while talking animatedly. Killua watched you with a scowl on his face. _Since when did those two become such good friends?_

He watched as you nudged Kurapika with your elbow while giggling at something he said.

_Why is this...kind of annoying?_

**…**

  
  


Killua stabbed his potato with a little more force than necessary as he watched you and Kurapika talk quietly next to each other at the dinner table. 

“So,” Mito started as she sliced through the meat on her plate, “how did you guys enjoy looking for the cocoa beans today?” 

Gon shoved a potato in his mouth before sputtering, “It wash show fun! Alluka and I gotsh a bunch of cocoa podsh!” 

Alluka pouted and flicked his ear. Gon let out a small whine, “Chew and swallow before talking, Gon-kun!” 

Mito chuckled and looked over to you and Kurapika, “What about you two? You were both gone longer than expected, hmm? What were you two up to?” 

“Eh?” You said looking away from your conversation with Kurapika, “Oh, right. Sorry about that. We didn’t mean to worry you guys or anything! We just got kind of carried away with talking.” 

Leorio chuckled, bits of meat chopped up in his mouth, “Is _talking_ code for making out? Nice, Kurapik-OUCH!” Kurapika’s foot collided with Leorio’s shin underneath the table. 

Killua scowled down at his food, finding himself unable to look up at you or Kurapika. _Is that really what they were doing? No...they couldn’t have been. I would have been able to tell. Wait...why do I even care? I could care less what (y/n) does...right?_

“Ne, Kurapika,” Gon inquired, “What were you guys talking about?” 

Kurapika looked over to you, his eyes silently asking you for permission to tell them what the two of you have spoken about. You nodded your head softly in reassurance. 

Killua felt his chest squeeze tighter, his grip on his fork making his knuckles white. _They have secrets too? After knowing each other for a few hours?_

Kurapika went on to explain your relation to the Kurta clan and everything you two talked about to the rest of the table. You watched him with a smile as he spoke. You were happy that you got the chance to talk to Kurapika today. It was nice to learn more about the clan your mother was from. It was also nice to make a new friend. 

“Woah!” Gon burst with his palms pressed against the table, “That’s so cool, (Y/N)! You and Kurapika have so much in common!” 

Killua grit his teeth. _Why is this bothering me so much?_

“Yeah,” Kurapika agreed softly while casting a glance your way, “I was actually thinking...maybe (Y/N) can come with me so that she can pay her respects to the Kurta that I’ve buried. It’s hard to know for certain, but perhaps one of the eyes that have been buried may have belonged to her mother…” 

White-hot anger coursed through Killua’s chest. He couldn’t explain why the idea of you leaving with Kurapika angered him so much. He needed to get away from here. 

Why shouldn’t you go with Kurapika? He could surely protect you if something went wrong...and you were both so similar. You were both Kurtas, and you seemed to be happy with him today...perhaps even happier than he could ever make you. 

Killua could feel the metal of the fork bending under his grip. 

Was he stupid for thinking he could ever...

Before Killua could stop himself, he abruptly stood up from the table and gave you a pointed glare, “I’m done.” 

His glare chilled you down to the bone. You’ve never felt this coldness from him before. Your heart clenched violently in your chest. _He’s so...angry. Why? Where did this come from? And why was it directed to you? Was there….double meaning behind him saying ‘I’m done’?_

Kurapika noticed the hurt expression that had suddenly washed the smile off of your face. He stood up from the table, “Hey! Killua!” 

Killua plopped his plate into the sink and walked away from the dining room, towards the door, “I said I’m done.” He walked out of the door with his hands in his pockets and an emotionless expression on his face.

Kurapika placed a hand on your shoulder when the door slammed shut. “I’ll go talk to him,” He whispered softly to you.

You shook your head and stood up, composing yourself, “It’s fine. Let me go talk to him.” 

_If he’s being serious, then we should have a talk alone. I need to know what caused this._

Everyone at the table watched you as you made your way out the front door, shutting it softly behind you. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. *dodges flying tomatoes* I’m really sorry guys! I meant to get this out a lot sooner but then I went on a small vacation and my cousin came over this week so I’ve been really busy! Also, I was feeling a little discouraged, but some of you have left me really nice comments and some of you have even slipped into my ~dms~ to tell me that you like my story! Thank you so much! You guys really inspire me to write this story! 
> 
> I had to rewrite the ending of this chapter. It almost came out a bit OOC, so I had to take a step back and fix it. Unfortunately, that means a little bit more slow burn for you guys, my apologies. 
> 
> What do you guys think of the story so far? Was anyone in this chapter OOC? Tell me your thoughts! Until next time ﾍ(=￣∇￣)ﾉ


	8. seven | little things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I usually don't do Author's Notes at the beginning of the chapter but I just have two things for you guys: 
> 
> \- (d/h) means Dominant Hand (right or left lol) 
> 
> \- Reader does some cool Katana stuff in this chapter! If you want to see what that looks like I recommend watching this youtube video! https://youtu.be/J1QJZvVZPDI  
> or if you just wanna search it's called Sword Girls | Girls Are Awesome | Martial Arts Motivational Video | Ultimate Video by Ultimate Video (lmao) 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! See you at the bottom :)

The cool summer night air kissed your face as soon as you stepped out of the door. Killua was nowhere in sight. 

You pulled the red scarf around your shoulders closer to your body as you called out, “Killua! Killua? Where are you?” 

You frantically picked up the pace and began your descent down the hill leading to Mito’s house. _It’s dark outside, and a little cold, he shouldn’t be out here alone._ A worried frown worked its way onto your face at the thought of a cold Killua sitting alone in the dark. 

You called out for him again when you reached the bottom of the hill and didn’t see Killua anywhere. A sharp panic settled in your chest. _What if something happened to him?_

The forest in front of you was shrouded in pitch-black darkness, the trees covered the ground from any moonlight that could illuminate the grass below. You weren’t a big fan of dark, cold places, but for Killua you kept going. 

Regret weighed heavily on your heart as you forged on. Regret and guilt for…. _for what? What exactly was it that I did wrong?_ You felt bad for simply knowing that you could have hurt Killua in any way. The white-haired boy has been nothing but good to you. 

You let out a shaky sigh as you continued through the dark forest, “Killua! Killua! Please, Killua! Where did you go?” 

A soft thud landed behind you and you froze. Before you could whip around to see who it was, you felt a warm breath of air on your neck. It made you shiver and a warm blush crept up your neck when you heard the person behind you speak. 

“Go back home, (Y/N). You’re going to get lost, you _idiot_.” 

Killua stepped out from behind you and continued walking in front of you, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his shorts and his head hanging low. 

After shaking yourself out of your frozen state, you followed him, “Killua! I’m not going home without you!” 

He ignored you and kept walking ahead of you to a clearing in the forest. 

Your eyebrows knit together in concern as you followed behind him clumsily, tripping over branches and rocks on the ground occasionally. 

“Why are you ignoring me Killua? Can you please just talk to me? I-I don’t know what I did wrong…” 

You almost slammed into his back when he abruptly stopped walking in the middle of the clearing. The moonlight illuminated the silver strands of his hair and his pale skin. Killua looked over his shoulder to look at you with a hard look in his cerulean eyes. 

“Don’t you have somewhere else to be? Shouldn’t you be packing to leave with Kurapika? Leave me alone.” 

_Packing?...Leaving?_ Killua continued walking, leaving you gaping at his retreating form. _Is he...jealous?_ You quickly sprinted back to him, “Will you just stop for a minute!? Why-why would I leave with Kurapika?”

Killua stopped but didn’t turn around to look at you, “Man, are you really that stupid? It’s obvious. Kurapika is clearly more of your... soulmate than I am. So, leave.” Killua kicked himself internally, he didn’t mean to let that much emotion out in his response.

You didn’t know why, but it felt like Killua kicked you in the chest. You desperately tried to keep your tears at bay in your eyes. 

“Killua, look at me.” You pulled on his hand gently to make his eyes meet yours. His deep blue eyes widened when he saw your distraught face. “Don’t say that because it isn’t true. Kurapika is just a friend. He gave me a lot of closure today over my...my mom. But that doesn’t mean I’m just going to up and leave with him.” 

He stayed silent so you continued. 

“Also, Gon, Alluka, and...and _you_ , Killua...I don’t think I could ever just up and leave you guys now. I haven’t had friends in a really long time. I-I don’t want to leave you guys. I won’t unless you really me too...” 

An emotion you couldn’t recognize flickered in Killua’s eyes as he watched you.

“I can tell that you don’t want me to leave though. That’s why you’re so upset. I can feel it.” 

Killua almost choked when you said that to him with that soft look in your (e/c) eyes. His heart beat faster against the confines of his chest.

You squeezed his hand tighter, “So, will you stop trying to push me away? It actually hurts…” You mentally face-palmed. _Why would I admit that to him?_ You desperately fought off a blush. You hurriedly added, “Also, there’s no point. I can see straight through that tsundere attitude of yours.”

Killua looked at you with an incredulous look in his eyes, “Hah?! Tsundere!? What are you talking about? Crazy woman…” 

You giggled softly. Killua could feel his cheeks flush at the sound of your laugh. He couldn’t help but feel happy that it was _him_ that got you to laugh. _Goddamnit...what is she doing to me…_

“Mhmm. Sure, Killua. You’re not tsundere at all.” You looked at him with a soft smile of amusement on your face. His pale blue eyes were still watching your (e/c) ones as the summer wind tossed his silver stands. _He’s so...beautiful._ The weight of sadness, regret, and guilt has been lifted from your chest. 

A blush spread like wildfire across your cheeks at the realization that you were still holding Killua’s strong hand in yours. The same happened to Killua. You both pulled your hands away simultaneously. 

Killua sighed and scratched the back of his neck as he looked away from you, desperately trying to hide his blush from your observant gaze. “Come on. Let’s go home.” 

You gulped and nodded your head quietly, “Yeah. Alluka must be worried.”

You shivered in silence as you walked next to Killua through the woods. Killua sighed and shrugged off his blue hoodie, revealing his muscular arms. 

You almost drooled. “He-Hey what’re you doing?” 

He tossed the hoodie to you, “Put it on.” 

Your eyebrows knit together in concern, “But you’ll be col-” 

“I don’t get cold,” He said in a bored tone, “just put it on.” 

You smiled to yourself as you pulled the oversized hoodie over your head. Killua’s warmth and smell lingered on it. 

“Thank you, Killua.”

“It’s nothing.” 

A comfortable silence settled between the two of you and before you both knew it, you were standing in front of Mito’s house. 

Before you went in, you broke the silence. “So, Killua?” 

“Hmm?” 

You frowned while looking at your shoes anxiously, “Are we...are we okay?” 

Killua smirked to himself, “Yeah. We’re okay.” 

  
  


**...**

  
  


Killua learned from a young age that not everyone is dealt the lucky hand in life. Himself and Alluka certainly weren’t born into a life that Killua found to be the best.

Who knows? Maybe somewhere out there someone would kill to be born into a life where your parents were the most respected assassins in the world. Where you were asked to sacrifice your childhood and innocence in exchange for learning how to kill others. Killua would never wish it on anyone to be born into the life he was born into. 

Growing up, all he had was Alluka. He wasn’t allowed to make any friends when he went outside. The only thing he was supposed to do when he went outside was kill people. 

Killua’s childhood of being trained and used as a killing machine left him slightly bitter and cynical. Although he didn’t outwardly show it, he was always fearful of losing the people closest to him. The people he loved the most. Sometimes...the life he lived felt too good to be real. Like it could be taken from him at any moment.

You were different from him though. 

Your childhood, like Killua’s, was full of pain and loneliness. Yet, every day you carried yourself gracefully. Fierce, but kind to everyone. So, so _kind_. Especially to Alluka. He would never say it out loud but, it warmed his heart to see you stroking the girl’s hair at night to get her to fall asleep and how you would cut the crust off of her sandwiches when Mito forgot to. At times, Killua felt a little guilty teasing you. But you didn’t seem to mind much, oftentimes you would come up with an underhanded dig that made both Gon and Alluka laugh. You trusted him wholeheartedly. Killua wasn’t sure if he should admire your ability to trust so easily or chastise you for it. 

Killua picked up on these things gradually during the weeks after Leorio and Kurapika left you with him, Gon, and Alluka on Whale Island. He also picked up on the fact that you were quite the early bird. 

There were times that Killua couldn’t sleep, simply because after training as an assassin for most of his life he had grown accustomed to _not_ sleeping. He would be awake at the crack of dawn sometimes, simply staring at the ceiling waiting for the day to start. During these times that he was awake, he noticed that every morning, you would stir right before the sun would peek over the horizon. He closed his eyes every time, pretending to be asleep.

You would shuffle around in the darkness of Gon’s bedroom, pulling on your clothing for the day and throwing the strap of your Katana holder over your chest before making your way out of the door, shutting it softly behind you. 

At first, Killua shrugged it off. Figuring that you were probably just going to watch the sunrise or something girly like that. But when he noticed it was a routine, he made his way to the window in Gon’s bedroom to see where you were going. 

The stars were fading from the clear sky as you walked onto the thick grass in front of Gon’s house. You walked until you were almost at the edge of the cliff overlooking the ocean. The wind from the sea tousled your loose, beige paper bag pants as well as the simple burgundy t-shirt tucked into them. Killua watched as you inhaled the sea-salt air deeply, your (h/l) (h/c) hair was pulled into a neat ponytail that danced behind you in the wind. 

Slowly, you reached your (d/h) hand back to grasp the black laced grip of your Katana. The thin blade glinted in the golden light coming from the horizon as you pulled it out and held it in front of you with both hands. You took another deep breath as you spread your legs apart to balance yourself, your black mary-jane flats digging into the dirt. 

Killua watched you from the room with curious eyes. 

You began twirling your katana with one hand, slowly at first, and then all of a sudden faster. Killua could barely keep up as you twirled and moved with your katana. Your feet and hands moved gracefully with each movement. His cerulean eyes followed each one of your movements in amazement. 

Although Killua had been kept away from the outside world for a very long time, he could identify a pretty girl when he saw one and right now….

Killua bit the inside of his cheek as he watched you. Your (e/c) eyes were fierce with concentration, your (h/l) (h/c) hair glowed in the sunlight and moved like silk with each of your spins. There was no denying that Killua thought you were pretty….no you were more than that. 

_She’s beautiful._

Killua slapped himself mentally at the rather evasive thought that suddenly appeared in his mind before laying back down and staring at the ceiling. _Idiot_ , _why do you always think of this stuff?_

Killua didn’t _want_ to make watching you train with your katana a habit, but of course, it quickly became a habit when he found himself awake at the crack of dawn. At first, he quietly observed from the window, but after a few mornings, he noticed that you would sit in the grass after a while of twirling, exhausted, and taking quick, labored breaths. One morning, he rolled his eyes at the sight of you sitting in the grass, your katana at your side. He decided to go downstairs to get you a glass of water. 

You smiled at him from your spot in the grass, “I was wondering when you would stop watching and come outside to say ‘hi’.” 

Killua had only been rendered speechless a few times in his life. This was one of them. He froze as he handed you the glass of water, heat quickly creeping up his neck and to his cheeks. _You had noticed him watching you this whole time? And you never said anything?_

You gave him a shit-eating grin, “Thank you for the water, Killua.” 

Killua quickly shook off the embarrassment and turned his head away from you while scratching the back of his head and closing his eyes, “Yeah, well I only brought it out so that you would stop panting like a dog.” 

“Hey!” You giggled, nudging his calf with your elbow. “You shouldn’t disrespect the woman armed with the katana, y’know? Don’t assassins know better than that?”

He rolled his eyes before plopping down next to you, “ _Ex-_ assassin, idiot-girl.” He nodded his head to your katana, “Where did you say you learned how to use that thing again?” 

You turned your head and watched the rising sun with a soft smile, “My mom gave it to me and taught me how to use it. What do you think of it?” 

“What do I think of what?” 

You gave him a bright smile, “Of my _moves_ , of course! You have been watching all of this time right? What do you think? I’m not so bad, right?” You gave him a wink. 

Killua thought _a lot of things_ about your _moves_. His face burned red again and he turned his head away from your prying eyes. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool actually.” 

“Thanks,” You grinned as you turned back to the sunrise, “I could teach you some things if you want to learn?” 

Killua turned back to look at you with an inquisitive gaze, “Seriously?” 

“Yes. But I want you to teach me something too.” 

“What?” Killua deadpanned. 

“Well,” You started nervously, playing with your fingers, “while I’m pretty skilled with my katana...my hand to hand combat skills are lacking. Maybe you can show me some things?” 

He sighed as he turned to look at you with a raised silver eyebrow, “Okay. Don’t expect me to go easy on you though.” 

You arched an eyebrow in response, “Where’s the fun in going easy?”

He scowled as he watched the sunrise, a dusting of pink painting his pale cheeks. There was no denying that Killua was developing feelings for you, the girl that came from pain like himself but grew to be more than the pain. Someone who was kind, fierce, a little naive...and very attractive. 

Killua hated how you made him so...flustered. Usually, he was confident and sure of himself. But with you? Not so much. He wasn’t sure how to...talk to a girl he liked. He didn’t know anything about dating or flirting or...kissing. Gon definitely knew more about that stuff than him. He shrugged to himself and sighed internally. He wouldn’t worry about that stuff today, maybe eventually he would if these feelings didn’t go away. _What am I saying, they definitely won’t! She’s my soulmate._

Killua scratched the back of his neck and let out a deep exhale as he snuck a glance at you. Your face was turned towards the golden rays of sunshine coming from the rising sun, wisps of (h/c) hair tickled your soft expression. His heart fluttered against his chest. 

_Tch. So annoying._

**...**

  
  


You gasped for air as your back collided with the dirt ground beneath you. Killua was kneeling above you, his rough palm pressing against the skin above your breasts, keeping you pinned to the floor. 

The silver-haired boy grinned down at you, his sea-blue eyes sparkling with amusement, “Are you even trying?” 

You scoffed and pushed his hand away from your chest before jumping to your feet. “Let’s try again.” 

“Onii-chan!” Alluka called from the rock she was perched on while watching the two of your spar. Her eyebrows bunched together in concern as she observed the very one-sided match. “Be gentle with (Y/N)-chan, okay?” 

Before Killua could respond, you quickly gave Alluka a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry Alluka, he’s not hurting me, I’m fine!”

“Tch.” Killua rolled his eyes, “I’m barely even trying.” 

You quirked an eyebrow, “I thought you said no holding back.” 

He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets, “I didn’t think you were this bad at fighting.” 

You gawked at him, “I’m not _bad!_ ” You huffed and crossed your arms defiantly over your chest. “Go full out this time or else I’ll find someone else to teach me. Maybe Kurapika is good at hand to hand combat?” 

Killua’s jaw clenched and a new fire sparked in his eyes. You could feel the annoyance in his mind. _Ooo, looks like I hit a soft spot. Hehe._

“Come at me when you’re ready, _baka_.” 

_Your heart hammered against your chest nervously. Hopefully I didn’t make him too mad...well, I guess this is what I wanted, right?_

_Here goes nothing._ You sighed before taking off in a sprint towards Killua. This time, you decided to try a kick against him, already knowing you probably weren’t going to go that far with it, but eager to see how he would react. 

You were fast but not as fast as Killua. You spun and threw your right foot towards Killua’s side, but he managed to catch it. He pulled you forward gently, making you hop on one foot to get closer to him. When you were close enough, he leaned forward and put his mouth close to your ear. He hadn’t even said anything yet and your cheeks were already on fire. 

The warmth of his breath clouded your senses as he spoke lowly in your ear, “Kurapika wouldn’t stand a chance against me. I’m the best teacher you’ve got, stupid.” He leaned impossibly closer before whispering, “Stop going for the obvious attacks.” 

You didn’t get the chance to respond before he violently threw your leg up in the air, the strength of his throw making you flip over yourself backward and fall painfully on your arm. You yelped out in pain when your shoulder hit the floor. 

There were a lot of little reasons why you found yourself taking a liking to Killua. Over the last few weeks, he did little things that made your chest feel warm and your head feel light. 

After a long day of playing with your friends, you often found yourself falling asleep on the couch with a book from Mito’s collection. But when you woke up in the morning you would always find yourself on your mat in Gon’s room. 

Curious to how you would always end up back there, you asked Gon about it one morning. 

“Hey,” you said while munching on Mito’s homemade banana bread, “how did I end up back in your room last night?” 

Gon giggled, “It was Killua! Killua always finds you sleeping on the couch and he carries you to bed!” 

Your face flushed a thousand shades of crimson. _Killua was the one carrying you all the way up the stairs every night?_

There were other things Killua did too. In the mornings, he would follow you outside while you trained. Sometimes he would just watch, sometimes you guys would talk and joke around. Other times though, you taught him a few things. You thought it was really cool how he picked up your Katana lessons so quickly. After a few lessons, he was spinning the blade almost as fast as you. Almost. 

You also admired how good of a friend he was to Gon, and how loving he was to his sister, Alluka. You’d never compliment him on that out loud though, you knew he would probably get embarrassed and punch you or something. 

The pain burned through your arm and your shoulder as you rolled onto your back, cradling your arm in your hand.

“Onii-chan, I told you to be gentle!” Alluka shouted in frustration as she ran to kneel by your side. “Are you okay, (Y/N)-chan?” Her baby blue eyes scanned your pained expression. 

The sun that was once stinging your eyes was blocked by a mop of silver and white hair looking down at you. His eyebrows knit together in concern for a second before he quickly hid the expression. His pale hands wrapped around your hips and he picked you up from the floor and put you back on your feet like you weighed nothing. 

There was no helping the blush that painted your cheeks. 

He looked at you with a soft smile. “She’s fine. Right, (Y/N)?” 

Despite the pain in your arm, you smiled back, “Yeah. Thank you, Killua.” 

The soft look on his face was quickly replaced with a confused one, “For what?” 

“For not holding back!” You smirked as you leaned forward to put your lips by his ear. “Even though that stung a little, I learned a lesson. Don’t expect me to make the obvious moves again.” 

You pulled away from his steadying grasp on your hips and moved to get some water. 

Killua’s face was aflame. It wasn’t _his_ fault though. It was hard not to blush when a pretty girl like (Y/N) was so close to him. 

You desperately downed every last drop of water from your water bottle. Your throat was parched, not from the spar, but from your exchange with Killua. Something had definitely changed over the last few weeks. Killua was like a magnet, you wanted to be closer to him, as close as he’d let you be. You couldn’t help but want to indulge in the way he made your heart hammer against your chest when he was too close to you. 

It was the little things that snuck up on you and made you realize that you were developing feelings for Killua.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo! This chapter was kinda long, but you guys deserved a nice long chapter! Thank you so much for all of your support! All of the comments/votes/kudos make me so, so happy! I’m so grateful for all of your support. I really hope that you liked this chapter. I used it to build the relationship between Killua and the reader, so I hope you enjoyed the fluff. We’re getting back to the plot soon, don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten about the reader’s father and Giichi! 
> 
> Love you guys! Hope you’re keeping cool during these hot summer days!  
> \- sailorjac <3
> 
> Leave me a comment to let me know what you think!


	9. eight | the bunny and the snake

_ “Killua,” you sigh, your lips tugging into a sweet smile. He’s standing there before you, underneath the cherry blossoms encasing the four of you away from the world.  _

_ He turns around to face you. His cerulean eyes holding the same mischievous glint that they always did. His lips pull into a charming smirk and he offers a pale hand to you. _

_ Your cheeks turn as pink as the cherry blossoms as you turn to Gon and Alluka seeking reassurance. Alluka’s baby blue eyes sparkle as she gives you a big smile and a thumbs up. Gon gives you a beam that puts the sun to shame.  _

_ “Go, (y/n)-chan,” he says, “Ask him!”  _

_ You give them a small nod before nervously turning back around to take Killua’s hand. Killua’s gaze is steady as he watches you move closer and slightly rock on your feet. He watches you expectantly. _

_ You take a deep breath before looking up to meet his gaze. (E/C) clashing with a blue as deep as the ocean. _

_ You bite your lip nervously, “Killua?”  _

_ “Hmm?”  _

_ Your eyes dart to the cherry blossoms above, “Can you show me?”  _

_ He tilts his head at you and gives you a soft smile. You smile at him in anticipation, but when he opens his mouth to speak, his words sound far away. You can’t decipher anything that he’s saying. It’s like he’s underwater.  _

_ Your eyebrows furrow together in confusion, “I can’t hear you. Why can’t I hear you?”  _

_ You turn around to look at Gon and Alluka in desperation.  _

_ It was at that moment that the sky faded to grey. The petals of the cherry blossoms fell limp against the street. A heavy rain began to patter down on Alluka and Gon’s dead bodies.  _

_ The life of spring was gone in an instant.  _

_ Tears welled in your eyes the moment you saw their bloody, lifeless bodies lying in the street. “Gon! Alluka!” You yelled in desperation as you tried to pull away from Killua’s grasp on your hand.  _

_ Killua’s hold, which was once strong and warm, turned cold and painful. A gasp escaped your lips when he suddenly yanked on your hand.  _

_ “Killua, what-” You turned around to see your father’s (e/c) eyes glaring down into your own. Your eyes widened in fear as you desperately trashed in his grip. You screamed at him to let you go but he wasn’t listening.  _

_ The rain drowned out your cries as your father pulled you down the street, your dead friends behind you.  _

_ They’re dead because of me.  _

**...**

You gasped for air as you sat up from your sleeping mat. Beads of nervous sweat gathered on your forehead as you tried to calm yourself down. 

You couldn’t tell what time it was, but Gon and Alluka were both passed out. You let out a shaky sigh as you ran a hand through your tangled hair.  _ They’re safe.  _

The relief that settled in your chest left as soon as it came and was replaced with dread.  _ They’re safe for now. But, how long until that nightmare becomes a reality? Father would do anything to get me back, I know that.  _

You squeezed your eyes shut in desperation to keep your tears at bay. 

Killua let out a disgruntled sigh as he sat up on his sleeping mat beside yours, “Another nightmare?” He grabbed a cup full of water from beside himself and handed it to you. 

“Yeah,” you said before taking a sip. “Thank you.” 

His curious blue orbs fell on you again, “Do you...wanna talk about it?” 

You shook your head. It was silent for a few moments before you spoke up again, “I need to leave, Killua.” 

He let out a small chuckle, “No. Your hand-to-hand combat is still crap.” 

“Killua, I’m serious.” You exclaimed in a hushed whisper, your eyes pleading for him to listen. 

He watched you with a bored expression and you let out a sigh. “Killua, what would happen if my father or one of his accomplices were to find us?” 

Killua rolled his eyes, “We would kill them.” 

“No, you don’t know that. You would be stupid to underestimate my father and his gang. If they find us on Whale Island, what would happen to Mito-san? Would she just have to relocate? Or would she get hurt? What about Alluka and Gon? Do you really think my father and his gang are incapable of hurting them?” You bit your lip as you glared down at your sleeping mat. “If they hurt you...or Alluka, Gon, and Mito-san, I’ll be able to heal you if we escape them, but they would be right back on our tail again. It would be an endless loop of running, Killua. Do you get that? I can’t put any of you through that, I _won’t_.” 

Killua watched you carefully from his mat, “(Y/N)-” 

“Killua, you have to think about Alluka. Do you really want this life for he-” 

Killua’s cerulean orbs glared at you in annoyance, “Oi, would you shut up for a second, woman?” 

You folded your arms across your chest and scowled at his harsh tongue, “What?” 

“You don’t have to run. Not anymore. Wasn’t that your whole thing, idiot? Did you forget about it already? Tch.” 

You gaped at him in exasperation, “Did you not listen to a word I just said-”

Killua cut you off again, “I know someone who can help you with your shitty nen.” He gave you a small smirk, “And a place where you can work on your lame excuse for hand-to-hand combat.” 

**...**

“Holy shit,” You breathed out as your eyes trailed up the altitudinous tower in front of the four of you. Killua had described Heaven’s Arena as being huge, but you didn’t really expect it to be  _ this  _ huge. 

A smile broke out on your face at the sight. 

The world outside of that cell in your dad’s base was beautiful. You never wanted to leave it. 

Killua nudged you, “Stop gawking, you look kinda dumb. Four eyes lives up the road.” 

You nodded sheepishly at him and followed him up the road. Alluka’s soft hand wrapped around your own. 

She peered up at you, “Have you ever been here before (Y/N)-chan?” 

“I haven’t,” You smiled sadly, “Have you?” 

She shook her head with a smile, “Onii-chan took me to a lot of places, but I’ve never been here before! We can explore this new place together, (Y/N)-chan!” 

You beamed down at the smaller girl, “Okay.” 

Two days after you told Killua you had to leave, the four of you packed up and left for Heaven’s Arena and a man named Wing. Saying goodbye to Mito was difficult, but you promised her that you would return again someday. 

On the way to Heaven’s Arena, Gon and Killua explained the rules of the arena. It seemed simple enough. Killua wanted you to fight to secure a room for the remainder of your stay and so that you could get some practice in. Before that though, the boys wanted to bring you to Wing, their longtime friend, and Nen teacher. If anyone was able to help you, it was him. 

“We made it!” Gon cheered outside of a white house with an assortment of wooden windows. “It’s been so long since we’ve seen Wing-san and Zushi, right Killua?” 

“Yeah,” Killua smiled at his friend. 

You raised an eyebrow at the two of them, “Wait, who’s Zushi?” 

As if on cue, the door swung open to reveal a tall, muscular boy with short brown hair and thick eyebrows. 

“Zushi!” Gon exclaimed before hugging his friend tightly. Zushi let out a small giggle as he hugged Gon back. 

When they pulled away, Gon gestured to you, “Zushi, this is (Y/N)-chan!” 

You gave him a small polite smile while nodding your head at him, “Hi there. Zushi, right? I’ve heard so much about you. It’s nice to meet you.” 

Zushi’s face quickly began to flush red as he examined the pretty girl in front of him. She had (h/l) (h/c) hair and sparkling (e/c) eyes. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw a girl that pretty. 

“H-Hello.” 

Gon looked at him with a worried expression, “Zushi are you okay? Your face is really red and hot, do you have a fever?” 

Killua let out a loud exaggerated sigh and folded his arms behind his head, “Come on. Let’s go see four eyes.”

Killua resisted the urge to snort at Zushi’s red face and the nervous expression that painted his features as he opened the door for you. He almost felt bad for poor Zushi.  _ I get it _ , he said to him in his head,  _ she has that effect on me too, that idiot girl.  _

**...**

You shifted uncomfortably next to Gon, Alluka, Killua, and Zushi. The four of you were seated across from a man with an untucked shirt and unruly hair. The man, who you learned to be Wing, gave you a pleasant smile and pushed his glasses up the brink of his nose. 

“I see,” He nods softly. For the past 30 minutes, you explained your nen to Wing. Where you learned it from, how the people you have healed in the past can opt in to see through your eyes while you healed another person, and how you desperately needed help fixing it so you didn’t have to live your life on the run. 

“Why don’t you come by tomorrow so I can help you with it?” He suggests. 

You almost audibly sigh with relief as you give him a big smile, “Thank you so much, Wing-san. What time should I come over tomorrow?” 

“How about noon?” Wing turns to look at Gon and Killua, “Do you four have somewhere to stay?” 

“(Y/N)-chan is going to get us a room at Heaven’s Arena!” Gon beamed. 

On the boat ride from Whale Island, Gon and Killua told you all about Heaven’s Arena and all of the rules, regulations, and prizes that came with it. You weren’t looking forward to fighting without your katana, but Killua thought it would be good hand-to-hand combat practice. 

Plus, if you get to the 100th floor today you’ll get to sleep in a room instead of an empty corridor with fluorescent lighting!

You groaned internally at the thought of having to clear 100 floors in a day. 

“Oh?” Wing smiled, “You should get going then. Sign-ups for fights are going to close soon!” 

The lollipop that was in Killua’s mouth fell out, “Hah?!” He got up from the floor and began to drag you out, “There’s no way we’re sleeping on the floor tonight, you better win!” 

You pouted your lips at him as you turned your head to look at Wing, “Thank you for having us, Wing-san! I’ll see you tomorrow! Bye, Zushi!”

Killua huffed in annoyance as he shut the door behind the four of you. 

**...**

Your knees trembled beneath you as you eyed your opponent in front of you. Of course, out of anyone you could have fought, you ended up with a big, muscular man. 

A big muscular man who was about to kick your ass. 

You looked over your shoulder to look at Killua and whined, “Can’t you just kick his ass and secure the room for us?” 

Killua raised a confused eyebrow at you, “Didn’t I tell you that your jokes are shit, (Y/N)? You should really stop making them, you’re embarrassing yourself.” 

“I’m serious!” You huffed as you eyed your muscular opponent, “This guy is going to kick my ass, Killua!” 

Killua gripped both of your shoulders and shook you violently, “Killua! What-...are-...you-...doing!?” 

He stopped shaking you, “Sorry, you sounded stupider than usual for a minute, I was trying to flip your brain over.” You sighed sadly and lowered your gaze to your feet. 

Killua frowned at your defeated expression and sighed. He brought a hand to your chin and lifted it so his sapphire gaze could meet your own. 

“You’re going to win. Don’t underestimate my teaching, idiot. Just do that kick that I taught you and he’ll be out like a light.” 

You held his gaze. His eyes held a soft determination that you had never seen before.  _ He believes in me. _ His pale hand was still warm on your chin, the rough pad of his thumb caressing the soft skin there. Your heart was pounding rapidly against your chest. 

You weren’t sure if it was because of your nervousness or because of how close Killua was. 

It was probably both. 

You bit your lip and nodded your head, “Okay. I’ll do my best.” 

Killua felt his heart go soft in his chest. He let go of your chin quickly when he realized that he was doing it for far longer than he originally intended. He gave you a determined smirk and nodded his head at you. 

You gave him a quick thumbs-up before turning on your heel and doing a quick jog onto the mat, a newfound confidence surging through your veins. 

The muscular man cracked his neck and his hands as the referee explained the rules to the both of you. He chuckled to himself darkly as he sized you up. His bald head glinted oddly in the light of the room. 

_ Ten points or a knockout and I’ll be the winner of this.  _

**“Start!”**

You crept around the corner of the ring on the tips of your toes, ready to spring at him when the opportunity presented itself. 

“Don’t worry, little girl. I’ll make this quick. You won’t even feel it,” He chuckled to himself, “Well, you’ll feel it in the morning.” 

You smirked at him as you rolled up the sleeves of your long sleeve shirt to your elbows, “I gathered that you were stupid but I never guessed that you would be funny too.” 

He clenched his fists, “Who’re you calling stupid?”

You rolled your eyes, “You, obviously. What happened, big guy? Blessed with muscles but no brain? You poor thing.” 

“That’s it, I guess I’m going to have to teach you a lesson.”

Teach you a lesson.

_ Teach you a lesson.  _

The words echoed in your head and swam around your ears until everything became quiet.

Heaven’s Arena faded around you and you squeezed your eyes shut in desperation to keep your thoughts at bay.  _ Not now, please not now.  _ Your father would utter those same exact words to you after you had disobeyed or disappointed him in some way. What followed was always something terrible. 

Something that left scars on the skin beneath your clothing. 

You opened your eyes to see your father charging at you. You lifted your arms gingerly to protect your face, the confidence quickly draining from your body at the sight of  _ him _ . 

Heaven’s Arena came back to view in a blur when you lifted your head from the floor slowly. The left side of your head was pounding from the impact of the man’s fist. A trickle of blood flowed from your forehead to your eye. 

_ Goddamnit _ .

Gon, Killua, and Alluka stood up from their seats at the sight of you on the floor. 

“(Y/N)! Are you okay?” Gon yelled worriedly from his spot in the stands. 

Killua’s eyes trailed over your crippled form worriedly. Your gaze flickered up from the floor to him and he immediately felt his heart tighten up in his chest. He knew that look. 

Your usually sparkling (e/c) orbs were filled with fear and desperation. He could feel your anxiety in his chest. Like a bunny about to be devoured by a snake. 

You had seen an opponent you felt you couldn’t beat. Killua knew that feeling better than anyone else.

Killua was about to go stop the fight before he saw the man whisper something in your ear. Whatever he said made you slam your fist to the mat in anger before getting up from your spot on the mat. 

The man took his position on the mat again and you took yours opposite of him. 

_ I have to win _ , you thought to yourself as you wiped the blood from your forehead with the back of your hand. 

“You should listen to the advice I gave you,” The man laughed at you. 

Your knuckles turned white from the intensity of your clench, “Not a chance.” 

You lunged at him first, your feet moving quickly against the mat on the floor. He was caught off guard by your speed but managed to dodge your right hook narrowly.

He launched his own fist to your stomach.  _ Perfect _ , you thought to yourself smugly. His attack on your stomach left everything else open  _ and _ gave you the opportunity to jump. 

Your feet launched you off of the floor and into a spin before the man could register it. Your right leg spun outward until your combat boot made a satisfying collision with the side of the man’s head. 

And it was just like Killua has said. He was out like a light. 

Your chest heaved as your let out breaths of air, your ponytail completely disheveled. 

_ “Did you see that kick? That was crazy!”  _ _   
  
_

_ “Yeah, I wonder why she didn’t use it at the beginning of the match.”  _

The referee let out an impressed grunt and handed you a small piece of paper, “Proceed to floor 40.” 

You skipped away from the mat happily, the knocked out man being dragged away by paramedics behind you. 

The rest of your six fights went by in a flash, all of them ending with your signature spinning-jump kick to the head. Before the four of you knew it, you were standing in front of your room. 

“We made it,” you sighed happily as you slipped the card into the lock. Gon and Alluka let out a small cheer behind you. 

The room was big and beautiful and it had a  _ bed.  _ You almost drooled at the thought of getting a full night's rest on that mattress. There was a huge window adjacent to the bed with a breathtaking view of the city. To the left of the bed, a futon was placed in front of a small flatscreen television. 

“(Y/N)-chan! (Y/N)-chan! Let’s watch a movie on the TV!” Alluka exclaimed excitedly before jumping onto the couch. 

You giggled warmly at her before patting her head, “Let me take a shower first and then we can watch TV together, okay?” 

“Mm’kay!” 

You turned to go to the bathroom but before you could get there Killua grabbed your wrist. 

“Let me see your head.” 

“Oh,” you said, gingerly bringing your hand to your head, “I completely forgot about that.” 

Killua tugged you into the bathroom and began taking out alcohol and bandages from underneath the sink. 

You stayed silent as he ran an alcohol-soaked cotton ball over the wound on your head, “I should kill that guy for sucker-punching you like that. Anyone could have told that you were distracted, even an idiot like that.” He bit his lip harshly as he bandaged your head. “What made you get distracted, anyway?” 

You chewed on your lip as your gaze fixed itself on a spot on his shirt, “I don’t want to talk about it.” 

Killua sighed as he pulled away from your head and gave you a bored look, “Fine. Hurry up, Alluka might fall asleep waiting for you.” 

When he left the bathroom you let out a deep sigh as you stepped into the tub, letting the hot water and steam wash over your sore body. Sometimes you wished that you could just forget your father like a bad dream. You avoided talking about him when you could, only mentioning him or telling your story when necessary. Talking about him made the reality of him ever more present to you. 

That had to stop. What happened today could never happen again. What would happen if someone else’s life was on the line? You couldn’t black out then.

You clenched your fist tightly against your side. You were determined to leave Heaven’s Arena stronger.

You were determined to leave your father behind. 

**...**

Alluka and you fell asleep five minutes into the show on TV. Gon had gone out to get some snacks for the four of you only ten minutes ago. He would probably be disappointed to see you and Alluka curled up next to each other on the couch completely knocked out. 

Killua let out a soft laugh at the thought as he took off the decorative pillows from the bed and peeled back the blanket. 

He picked up Alluka from the couch and laid her down on the left side of the bed, and then he went back for you. 

Killua’s arm scooped under your bare legs and the other wrapped around the satin back of your nightdress, your head lolled against his strong chest. Killua laid you back against the pillow gently, your hair surrounding your head like a halo. 

Killua couldn’t help but note that your eyelashes were so,  _ so  _ long, even if he didn’t want to. Why were you so beautiful? It was distracting.

It was a distraction Killua thought should be illegal. 

Killua frowned to himself at the thought but couldn’t stop the blush from spreading across his cheeks. He could only bring himself to pull his eyes away from your face when his phone vibrated in his pocket. 

**_[ 1 new message: Illumi ]_ **

Killua furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. It was rare for Illumi to reach out to him, and Killua almost  _ never _ reached out to Illumi. 

Killua swiped his thumb across the screen to open the message. 

Inside the message was a picture of what looked like...a screenshot of CCTV footage. In the screenshot...Killua saw you walking with himself, Gon, and Alluka to the pier in Yorknew City months ago. Your eyes were observing the area in fear.

A new message popped up below the photo: 

  
**[Illumi]:** **_Dad gave me a new job. Who is this girl to you, Kil?_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd I’m back! Haha! I hope you guys enjoyed this long chapter. It took me a long time to write it, but I had so much fun doing it. I know it takes me a while to update between chapters, but that’s only because I want to make these chapters the best they can be! Gomen!
> 
> But if you haven’t seen my announcement, I just want to let you know that Linked is here to STAY!!!! And it will be completed!
> 
> Quick note, I know a lot of you are confused about the reader’s nen, I’m really sorry. Writing about nen or other superhuman powers isn’t really my strong suit. When the Reader visits Wing in the next chapter, you’ll get a full rundown about how her nen works! Both of her abilities, Butterfly Effect, and the healing will be explained!!! Please be patient with me! ヾ(＾∇＾)
> 
> Thank you all for your kindness. Every comment, vote, and DM that you guys have given me makes me so indescribably happy. You guys keep me going, honestly. I never expected Linked to do as well as it did and it’s all thanks to you guys, my readers! I love each and every one of you! Thank you for tuning into my little story. ಗಾ ﹏ ಗಾ
> 
> So, what do you guys think about Illumi joining the mix? What about the blossoming relationship between Killua and (Y/N)? And isn’t (Y/N) such a badass? Will I ever stop rambling!?
> 
> Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
> 
> Until next time, 
> 
> -sailorjac/mochi-chan (=ↀωↀ=)✧
> 
> ps: I'll probably be changing my username on here to my username on wattpad (mochidaisyy) so watch out for that! ;)


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